Festival Colombiano returns to Charlotte this summer

Context: Last year, approximately 8,000-10,000 people attended the festival, which has been held in Concord in recent years.

• With the help of Charlotte City Council Member Marjorie Molina, festival organizers brought the event to center city, they tell Axios.

Flashback: In 2023, then-Colombian Ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo attended the festival. There, organizers handed him a petition with several thousand signatures to bring a Colombian consulate to the city, a measure that was approved last year.

What to expect: Live music, performances, an artisans market and plenty of food, of course.

Between the lines: The Festival Colombiano has historically been a celebration of Colombian culture, but it has evolved to be more inclusive of different cultures.

• Charlotte nonprofit La Casa de la Cultura, for example, will bring a multicultural market to the festival.

If you go: Doors open at 12pm at 301 East 7th St., in Charlotte's First Ward Park.

• The festival is open to all ages, and kids younger than 13 years old get in free. Pets are not allowed, and a clear bag policy will be in place.
• Tickets are $23.57.

Go deeper: Charlotte's top July events