Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the festival is free. It is in fact a ticketed event for people over 5 years old.
Get ready, Sacramento. It’s time to celebrate all things bananas at the 14th annual Banana Festival in William Land Park.
The Banana Festival is a two-day family-friendly event that celebrates different places and communities where bananas grow.
According to the vendor coordinator, Marquis Marcilous, the festival is a culmination of a melting pot of culture. Marcilous said the festival was started over 20 years ago by the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum.
“The original location used to be near Cal Expo, and then they found a home at William Land Park years later,” Marcilous said.
The museum aimed to create an annual fundraiser for the National Academic Youth Corp, bringing something unique to Sacramento.
“Since their programming is educational and art-based, they thought about something that'll bring diversity and an array of cultures together. And they kind of came up with the Banana Festival,” she said.
Those who plan on going to this year's Banana Festival will be able to enjoy banana-inspired dishes, a reptile exhibit for children and family, live art, a wine and beer garden with special banana cocktails, and live music.
The festival will also feature a fashion show and a best banana costume contest for both people and their dogs. The theme of this year's festival is “old-school,” according to Marcilous.
“This year, we're going to have a huge car show, and we're going to have bands that are covering kind of Motown old school funk,” Marcilous said. “We're also going to give away banana awards to community soldiers, those that have pioneered different things in Sacramento or influence education.”
According to Marcilous, each year, the Sojourner Truth Museum has an artist who creates live murals that the community can take part in.
“We can't forget about the banana parade,” she said. “It’s led by the Brazilian Center of Sacramento. And it's a lively parade where not only our vendors, partners, organizations, but also attendees will participate as well.”
The Banana Festival begins Saturday at 10 a.m. at William Land Park and will end Sunday.
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