Peabody International Festival Events, Street Closures Set For Sunday

PEABODY, MA —More than 65 food vendors and three dozen local artisans will line the streets of downtown Peabody for the International Festival on Sunday as part of what Mayor Ted Bettencourt calls "the biggest block party on the North Shore."

The daylong event starting at 11 a.m. will include two music stages, a kid's corner of family-friendly activities and a beer garden.

The Artisan Market and Galleria on Foster Street features crafts, clothes, paintings and photography. The Kid's Corner at East End Veterans Memorial Park near the Main Branch Library features arts and crafts, character shows, interactive games, music, dance, and other activities, including a bounce house.

The Beer Garden will be located in the North Shore Bank parking lot at 32 Main Street. Face painting sponsored by The Salon CC will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a "passport photo" booth at North Shore Bank where attendees can get their festival passports and then get "stamps" as they travel to each country's food booths with the chance to win a gift card.

The Peabody Chamber of Commerce has coordinated with member businesses to each sponsor a different country and provide information on those countries' histories and customs while providing giveaways, activities or games.

England is sponsored by Spencer Home Services.

Mexico is sponsored by In The Game - Peabody.

Ukraine is sponsored by ConvenientMD Urgent Care.

Guatemala is sponsored by Rx Beauty Room.

Israel is sponsored by Baystate Financial.

Greece is sponsored by Peabody Pediatric Dentistry and Braces.

To help alleviate congestion and parking issues, shuttles will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Higgins Middle School and from Sports Medicine behind the North Shore Mall to dropoff locations at the corner of Main and Washington Streets and the Central Street Municipal lot.

There will also be a series of road closures to accommodate the festival:

• Central Street from Railroad Avenue to Peabody Square
• Lowell Street from Chestnut Street to Peabody Square
• Foster Street from Franklin Street to Peabody Square
• Wallis Street from Main Street to Walnut Street
• Nichols Lane from Main Street to Summer Street
• Littles Lane from Elliott Place to Main Street (open to residents only)
• Main Street from Peabody Square to Washington Street

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)