MILWAUKEE, WI — Special exhibits and displays will once again play an important role in the 82nd annual Holiday Folk Fair International, America’s premier multicultural festival, to be held Fri., Nov. 21 – Sun., Nov. 23, 2025, at the Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis.
Working with Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Fine Arts Department, the Folk Fair will present 18 murals prepared by MPS students, with the murals depicting worldwide cultures. The following schools participated in the project, with the area represented in the murals:
- Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education: Jamaica
- Bradley Technology and Trade School: Norway
- Cooper Elementary School: Japan
- Fernwood Montessori School: Ireland
- H.W. Longfellow School: Colombia
- Individualized Developmental Educational Approaches to Learning School (IDEAL): Scotland
- James Groppi High School: Morocco
- La Escuela Fratney: Ireland
- Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language: Ghana
- Milwaukee High School of the Arts: República Dominicana
- Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School: Peru
- Morgandale Elementary School: Indigenous Mexico
- North Division High School: Sudan
- Rogers Street Academy: Puerto Rico
- South Division High School: Malaysia
- Walt Whitman School: Mexico
- Wedgewood Park International School: Italy
- Zablocki School: Rohingya
In recognition of the event’s 2025 featured food, celebratory cultural foods, a photographic exhibit will be presented, with images depicting celebratory delicacies such as…
- Aebleskiver, a type of Danish pancake cooked in a special stove-top pan with half-spherical molds. The center is soft and fluffy, and the crust is crisp and browned. Traditionally served with glogg during Advent and plated in threes, they are dusted with powdered sugar, topped or filled with tart jams of Nordic berries.
- Babka, a traditional Polish Easter cake, symbolizes the joy of Easter and is often blessed in a święconka (Easter basket) on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, before being eaten.
- Barszcz, a beetroot broth typically reserved for Christmas Eve dinner, is served along with the other 11 dishes served. A small portion is served with wild mushroom-filled dumplings (uszkami) as the opening dish.
- Karjalanpiirakka, an iconic Finnish food, is a thin, rye-crusted pastry filled with rice porridge, mashed potatoes, or carrots, a staple in Finnish households and a common snack at gatherings.
- Kransekake, known as the “wreath cake” or “ring cake,” is often used at Norwegian weddings, Constitution Day celebrations, Christmas, and baptisms. Composed mainly of almonds, sugar, and egg whites, its texture is chewy, its taste subtly sweet, and its form distinctive.
The Dirty Kettle Native American interactive display will feature Herb Heck, aka “Dirty Kettle,” depicting and teaching the traditions of the Plains Indians and the Mountain Men. The display is comprised of a teepee arranged as it would have been more than 150 years ago, with items that were typical of the period, including willow beds covered in buffalo hides and backrests wrapped with deer and sheep skins. In addition, furs line the inside of the teepee, including bobcat, moose, ermine, fox, beaver, mink, coyote, and Canadian timber wolf. The display will also feature items used during the period, including dance sticks, talking and prayer feathers, bows and arrows, tools, traps, fire-starting items, and hand-made musical instruments, such as flutes and drums.
The Artisan Corner will feature local vendors demonstrating their craft throughout the weekend, including…
- Master Artisan Vesile Yilmaz of Brookfield showing Ebru (marbling), also known as paper marbling, a Turkish art from Central Asia
- Taka and Carl Erck of Harland are demonstrating Japanese pottery.
- Master Artisan Glen Gorsuch of Neshkoro is making canoe paddles.
- Jean Klug of West Bend is doing spinning and weaving.
- Roger Anderson from New Berlin is making Filipino parols (Christmas stars) and paper crafts.
- Kevin Seigworth of New Berlin is doing woodturning using a lathe with handheld tools to make tops, small bowls, pens, and more.
- Lyn Trebian of Juneau, AK, will be demonstrating weaving and displaying various Tlingit-themed traditional artwork. The Tlingit are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, as they constitute two of the more than 230 federally recognized Tribes of Alaska.
- Sae Iino, the Japan Outreach Initiative Coordinator at the International Institute of Wisconsin, will be doing a Kimono display and demonstration, an origami workshop, and a Manga drawing presentation
Skilled artisans from distant lands have created characteristic treasures to be on display and for sale in the International Bazaar. Providing a distinguished shopping experience, attendees will find products from 19 groups, including the Chinese, French, Hmong, Polish, Thai, and Ukrainian.
Heritage Lane allows attendees to take a stroll and discover traditional and unique customs from around the world by interacting with diverse cultures brought to life through ethnic exhibits. There will be displays on behalf of 25 groups, including the Donauschwaben, Lithuanians, Mexicans, Romanians, Swiss, and Welsh.
The Children’s Area will feature games and activities for young children, with an emphasis on explaining the cultures and traditions of groups from around the world.
Folk Fair attendees can learn about and enjoy bonsai trees from the Milwaukee Bonsai Society. The term bonsai means tree in a pot, and it is a living art sculpture that combines three-dimensional design and horticulture. The display will feature various styles and types of bonsai trees and plants. Varieties to be displayed will include maple, elm, juniper, pine, cedar, and ficus trees, plus jade plants. There will be signage next to each tree and plant that identifies the bonsai style, an explanation of the style, and the Japanese word for the style. Attendees will be able to vote on their favorite tree.
The Milwaukee Area Woodturners will have its annual display, with several woodturners conducting demonstrations throughout each day. Fair-goers will be able to get a close look at the woodturning process and browse products, such as bowls, sculptures, vases, and more. Kids will also be able to play with a tongue drum, a wooden musical instrument with slits.
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, a Naturalization Ceremony on Nov. 21, 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.
