A Host of International Festivities

Summer is winding down, but preparations for the 28th Annual International Festival are in full swing.

Peabody’s rich celebration of its multicultural heritage is set for Sept. 18 in Peabody Square with homemade cuisine and delicacies from around the world, along with other artistic and cultural exhibits. 

This year’s ethnic festival, which typically draws tens of thousands, will be held from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Entertainers will perform on three stages, over 60 booths will feature food from many of the ethnic groups that make up the community, North Shore artists will display their works in the International Festival Galleria, and of course there will be Kids Day and the .

The annual Kids Day Celebration will be over at the that Sunday — bring your kids for a day of fun and games.  is the major sponsor of the event along with state Sen. Fred Berry.

The 10th annual 5K road race and two-mile fun run/walk is actually scheduled the week before, on Sept. 10 and starting at  at 9 a.m.

The festival is free and open to the public. The rain date will be Sept. 25.

If you didn't get your fill of ethnic food at the festival, that Sunday also marks the beginning of the 4th Annual Peabody Restaurant Week, although it's technically a fortnight of food.

Restaurant Week goes from Sept. 18-22 and then again from Sept. 25-29 at 14 different participating downtown restaurants, which should cover a range of palates.

And as if that wasn't enough, a new treat has been added this year: enjoy a movie sure to resonate with many a die hard Boston sports fan on the  on Sept. 25. "Fever Pitch," starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore, will be shown at 8 p.m.

Grab dinner beforehand or afterward at the one of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week.

And lastly, but certainly not least, Peabody's international festivities have made it to the World Wide Web  — festival organizers launched their very first website last week, thanks to some help from Peabody high grad Derek Gauvain. Not content with just a website, the festival has joined the social media world of Facebook, where it's much easier to share photos from festivals of years' past — have some good memories to share? Restaurant Week now also has its own Facebook page.

For more information, call the Mayor's office at 978-538-5700.