SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Normally, you'd have to travel thousands of miles to see performances from around the world, but this week you can see them — no passport required.
The World Folkfest in Springville is back, featuring dancers from Brazil, Poland, Slovenia, and more, along with food trucks, vendors, and a celebration.
"Our dances differentiate from another quite a lot because we have influences from Hungary, Austria, Italy, and Croatia, together with the standard dances that we do," said Slovenian dancer Lea Onufrija.
Onufrija traveled to World Folkfest with her entire dance group. They only travel intercontinentally every 10 years, and this time, they chose Utah.
"Most people don't know that Slovenia exists because it's really small," she said. "So it's really nice to show them our heritage, what we do, what our language sounds like, and what our dances look like."
To make the World Folkfest come to life, many in the community play roles like housing dancers and organizing production. Tara Eyre has worked with the festival for years. She says it's about more than just entertainment.
"The way that we bring the world together, it really makes the world a smaller place, and that's what we're all about," Eyre said. "It's so much fun, people who come for the first time leave happy in their hearts because we just celebrate."
If you'd like to experience the culture and connection at World Folkfest CLICK HERE for tickets. The event kicks off on Wednesday night and runs through Saturday.
