Song, dance, cuisine, accessories, culture. What's not to like?

Not only does the One World Festival bring people out, the event brings people together.

"Personally, I think people are more similar than they are different," said Deepa Balepur, the chairperson of the nine-member One World Festival committee. "At the end of the day, we're all human beings striving to be good citizens of the world. One world, many cultures, shared future."

The next installment of the annual One World Festival is upon us. The multicultural, multifaceted, multipurpose festival will be staged from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Franklin & Marshall College's Alumni Sports and Fitness Center, 929 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster. The sponsored event is free to attend, and everyone is welcome, but registration at https://oneworldfestivallancaster.org is requested.

"We might have different customs and flavors, but we are all living in this one world," said Jenny Schulder Brant, a member of the One World Festival committee. "We do need to interact, and we have to find that common thread that unites us. We have people from all over the world living in this community. We all send our kids to school together. It's nice to be able to celebrate that."

This year's One World Festival will feature 12 musical/dance performing groups, including ones from the Indian, Latin-American, Irish, Greek, Middle Eastern, traditional German and Jewish communities. On the average, each performance will last about 20 minutes.

Also featured will be seven food vendors offering Asian, Indian, Latin, Egyptian, Italian and Greek cuisine and one offering international desserts. In addition, the festival will include a dozen global merchandise vendors.

The family-friendly event will also include a kids' area complete with arts and crafts, activities, face painting, balloon animals and caricature drawing.

"There's a lot of energy," said Kris Bradley, One World Festival's marketing director. "From the first (musical) performance it's amazing, and then it's just one after the other. You've got to go just to see the performances."

"It's very festive," said Balepur. "It's just a great time for everyone. To see Lancaster County come together, it's uplifting."

More than 4,000 local residents are expected to attend from communities across Lancaster County, with varying backgrounds and different heritages.

"They are people who are looking to have fun and have a family experience that's also educational," said Schulder Brant. "It's amazing being part of a community of like-minded people who are looking to understand people who are 'different' than them. Everyone in that room is choosing to be there with an open mind."

"They are people who are genuinely interested in learning about different cultures," said Balepur. "We have observed that, and there is a lot of genuine conversation. Last year, someone told me, 'This is as close as I'll get to visiting these countries.'"

Following periods of discussion and planning, the One World Festival was established in 2022. The concept was met with initial enthusiasm, and the event has just kept gaining momentum since.

"It started off with a bang and a couple of thousand attendees, and it's stayed like that," said Balepur. "We're really receptive to community feedback. We heard the community when they said, 'We had a great time, but why not try ...' When we all come together, share our traditions and learn from each other, we build a stronger community for all of us. That's what makes Lancaster County such a special place."

"I think the core values are really very similar," said Schulder Brant. "They're people who want the best for their families, like they want the best for their communities. It's people who are taking care of their families and being part of a great event. There are similarities in our humanities, but everybody's different, and seeing those differences is a positive thing."