MILWAUKEE, WI – Five long-serving individuals will be added to the Holiday Folk Fair International Volunteer Wall of Honor during the 82nd annual event, which will be held Fri., Nov. 21 – Sun., Nov. 23, 2025, at the Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.
The following people will be recognized during the event’s opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 21:
- Chris Conley: For decades, Conley has shared her time and talents as a dedicated Holiday Folk Fair International volunteer. She has been an integral part of the Italian cultural exhibit, helping to showcase traditions, history, and heritage. She supports the Italian food booth in the World Café, where visitors enjoy authentic Italian cuisine. Beyond her own service, Conley extended the Folk Fair experience as an educator to her former students by bringing them to the event, inspiring the next generation to learn about and appreciate cultures from around the world. Her long-standing commitment has enriched the Folk Fair community and celebrated cultural connections for all.
- Diane Holytz: A member of Polanki, Inc., the Polish Women’s Cultural Group of Milwaukee, for 33 years, Holytz has been an active member participating in cultural events, demonstrating folk art such as making homemade Polish ornaments, and volunteering to work at fundraising events, including at the Folk Fair culture and marketplace booths. She has been a member of the Polanki board of directors, serving in various capacities, including President, Vice President, and Historian. Holytz has been actively involved with the Polish Heritage Alliance, volunteering numerous hours at the Polanki Library, gift shop, and in cultural programs.
- Steve Petrovich: An active member of the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox community since he was a young child, Petrovich actively participated in the St. Sava Junior Dancers, Sumadija Serbian Folk Dance Ensemble, and St. Sava Tamburitza Orchestra. With a dedication to preserving Serbian culture, he has directed these ensembles for many years and has provided live musical accompaniment at Holiday Folk Fair International. Petrovich has also led the orchestra’s Izvor, Sloboda, and Prazna Flasa, which have performed at the Holiday Folk Fair for decades.
- Donna Roeber: Active at Holiday Folk Fair since 1972, Roeber started as a dancer, then as exhibit chairperson for the Sokol/Sokolice Czech Organization of Milwaukee. She expanded her role with the event and has spent more than 30 years volunteering with the International Institute of Wisconsin, producers of the event, in various roles, including the last few years overseeing the Folk Fair office.
- Margarita Sandoval-Skare: A member of the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and the Mexican Fiesta planning committee for more than 25 years, Sandoval-Skare volunteers in the Mexican cultural exhibit and food booth at Holiday Folk Fair International. She has also shared her professional background by helping Folk Fair attendees learn about their genealogy.
A program of the International Institute of Wisconsin (IIW), Holiday Folk Fair International celebrates the cultural heritage of the people living in southeastern Wisconsin. This year’s theme, “Celebrate the Culture of Traditional Music,” will allow Fairgoers to explore how traditional music represents one’s cultural heritage. The featured food at the 2025 event will be Celebratory Cultural Foods, which are living links to cultural heritage and traditions and an integral part of any celebration in many cultures.
Special attractions include invited international performers from Poland and Utah plus groups representing Japan, photographic exhibits, cultural murals produced by Milwaukee Public Schools students, the Artisan Corner, the Dirty Kettle Native American interactive display, the Milwaukee Area Woodturners, a Children’s Area, a bonsai exhibit, Senior Day activities for those 62 and over on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, a Youth Chess Tournament on Nov. 22, and an Interdenominational Religious Service on Nov. 23.
The three-day event features the All Nations Theater with traditional music and dance, plus the opening and closing ceremonies; the World Café offering traditional dishes; the Tanzhauz, where attendees dance and sing along with a variety of musical stylings; the Coffee House, where patrons enjoy a beverage and baked goods while listening to talented musicians; Heritage Lane with unique traditions and customs through interactive exhibits; the International Bazaar, where cultural artifacts create a unique shopping experience; and the American Culinary Federation Chef’s Stage presented by TightSeal Exteriors and Baths featuring local chefs preparing traditional cuisine.
Advance tickets can be purchased through Thurs., Nov. 20, at the Folk Fair website (https://folkfair.org/admission/) – $13 each for those eight years old to age 61 and $12 for those age 62 and up. Tickets can also be purchased from all participating ethnic groups. Groups of 20 or more may purchase tickets at $11 each. There are no refunds.
Admission at the gate will be $16 for ages 8 – 61, with children up to age seven admitted at no charge. Those 62 and over will be admitted for $14, and all military personnel with a military ID card will be admitted free.
Hours will be 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 21; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 22; and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 23.
For more information on the 2025 Holiday Folk Fair International, visit www.folkfair.org or call 414-225-6225.
