Peabody International Festival Returns After 2023 Cancellation

PEABODY, MA — A year after one of the many weekends of heavy rain washed away the four-decade tradition of the Peabody International Festival, the event is back for 2024 with a Sept. 15 date set and rain date of Sept. 22.

When last year's event set to include 65 food vendors, two stages of live music and three dozen artisans to downtown Peabody was rained out, it was canceled with Mayor Ted Bettencourt saying: "The cancellation is even more disappointing because this year's calendar does not allow for a Festival rain date, meaning there be no International Festival in 2023."

It was later explained that there was no rain date planned this year "out of respect for the Jewish holiday days Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are observed over the next two weekends."

"We all agreed to start work on next year's event, which we plan to makethe biggest and best International Festival yet," Bettencourt said at the time. "I am sorry to share this disappointing news and I hope everyone can understand my decision."

"The International Festival is Peabody's signature community event and the biggest party on the North Shore," Bettencourt said. "It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our ethnic and cultural diversity through food, art and entertainment. We are grateful that North Shore Bank will once again be the Title Sponsor of this year's Festival."

The free festival includes a variety of ethnic foods, vendors, a Galleria Tent for North Shore Artists on Foster Street, an Artisan Market hosted by the Creative Collective and entertainment on two stages.

Children and families will enjoy visiting the Kid's Corner at the East End Veteran's Memorial Park on Walnut Street. Music, arts and crafts, moon bounces, a magician, dancing demonstrations and much more will be featured all day.

The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) International Race for Research will kick off festival weekend on Sept. 14 at 9 a.m. On-site registration at the Leather City Common on Lowell Street begins at 7:45 a.m.

The race will feature a 5K road race and a 2-mile fun run/walk with awards and refreshments for all.

Booth applications, additional information regarding the event, as well as sponsorship opportunities, are available on the International Festival website.

(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.)