Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars perform a headlining show at the 2013 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, May 2‒May 5, 2013. Photograph by Michael Silvan.

International foods offered at the 2012 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, May 3‒6, 2012. Photograph by Michael Silvan.

Karen dancers at the 2010 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, April 29‒May 2, 2010. The Karen people are an ethnic minority from Burma (Myanmar) who first arrived as refugees to Minnesota in 1994.

Chinese calligraphy demonstration at the 2008 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, May 1‒4, 2008.

American flag ceremony at the 2007 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium, May 3‒6, 2007.

Somali cultural exhibit at the 199 Festival of Nations (April 29‒May 2, 1999), sponsored by the International Institute and held in the newly opened St. Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium. The first Somali refugees came to Minnesota in 1993.

Hmong cultural exhibit at the 1983 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul Civic Auditorium, April 29‒May 1, 1983.
April 29‒May 1, 1983 Festival of Nations. Hmong and Lao groups had first participated in the 1980 festival.

The 1967 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul Civic Auditorium, November 9‒12, 1967.

American flag presentation at the 1964 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute and held in the St. Paul Civic Auditorium, November 5‒8, 1964.

Japanese group at the 1949 Festival of Nations, sponsored by the International Institute in St. Paul and held at the St. Paul Civic Auditorium, May 20‒23, 1949. Japanese people first arrived in Minnesota in large numbers beginning in 1942. They were moving inland to leave concentration camps established by President Roosevelt’s Executive Order #9066 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The 1947 Festival of Nations was the first in which Japanese people participated.