World of Nations Celebration

Must visit for For the doubles ! If you haven't tried them yet, you should!We got in using the online tickets and came early so there was no line. There are other countries represented, of course but I had to get my doubles fix!

The World of Nations event in Jacksonville is an absolute must visit for anyone eager to experience the world's diverse cultures right in their own backyard. With an impressive lineup of 27 countries represented, this annual weekend extravaganza offers an immersive journey through global cuisine, performances, and traditions.Embarking on this cultural odyssey, I began my culinary exploration in Honduras with a tantalizing chorizo and cheese pupusa that left me craving more. From there, it was a whirlwind tour of flavors and entertainment, from the rhythmic dances of Venezuela and the Philippines to the hearty stew and fufu of Sierra Leone.But the event wasn't just about indulging the taste buds...it was also an opportunity to discover unique products and traditions from around the world. The henna tattoo shop in India offered intricate designs, while the black seed oil from Sierra Leone proved to be a hidden gem for skincare and haircare enthusiasts. As I continued my journey, the aroma of Cantonese fried rice beckoned, promising a symphony of flavors that did not disappoint. And after being mesmerized by a captivating Chinese dragon dance, it was time to unwind with a refreshing rum punch from one of the drink stands. With each stop, I sampled delicacies from Indonesia's noodles to Trinidad and Tobago's curry goat, each dish a testament to the culinary richness of its respective culture. And what better way to conclude this global feast than with a slushy served in a pineapple from Cuba, a sweet finale to an unforgettable experience.In addition to the delicious fare and lively performances, the World of Nations event provided a platform for cultural exchange and unity within the Jacksonville community. The bustling markets showcased an array of goods, from artisan crafts to exotic spices, further enriching the experience.Overall, the World of Nations event was a resounding success, bringing together people of all backgrounds to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of diversity. It's an event that truly embodies the spirit of unity and cultural appreciation, leaving attendees with cherished memories and a newfound appreciation for the world's myriad cultures.

In my opinion, this is the best annual event in Jacksonville! I attended the 31st annual World of Nations Celebration in 2023. The first 2 years I attended the event was held at Metropolitan park. But the park was under renovation, so it was held in the tailgators parking lot. It was the perfect spot even though I love the park.Parking was available at several M&T lots for $10. I prepurchased my ticket online for $5. If you wait until the day of the event, you will pay more. There were two separate lines upon arrival, prepurchased tickets and purchase tickets at the gate. Once your ticket is scanned you then get in the security line. It appeared as though M&T stadium security was in charge. There were several metal detector lines. It took me less than ten minutes to get inside the gate.If you don't want to be disappointed that items you want to purchase are sold out, I suggest going earlier in the day. I arrived at 11 AM and left at 3 PM.We worked our way around the festival stopping to buy small portions of food at several country tents. Gozleme, spinach and cheese in a hanrolled pastry from Turkey, was my favorite food of the day! It was hot and delicious! And I loved watching the pastries being made!India's Tandoori chicken also sticks out as a winner for the day. Spicy and juicy chicken is always a favorite. And you could buy one piece or two. I loved the smaller portions options so you can try many different culinary delights. Palestine also had a yummy spinach pastry. I also enjoyed a chicken empanda from Costa Rica. We sampled many delights from Indonesia, including martabak and putu ayu. We stopped by the Japanese tent and did a little grocery shopping. I purchased my name in chinease for $2 as well as my year sign, the dog, as a necklace.In the Peru tent, I purchased gifts for my nieces and nephews, whistles that when you add water sound like a bird. They will love them! I also purchased a lava bead bracelet for myself for $5. With the high prices of everything these days, I felt the vendors were fair, and I appreciated the offering of reasonably priced items. We were also entertained by several countries demonstrating their dancing skills in beautiful traditional costumes. If you have never attended World of Nations, you are certainly missing out!

With more than three decades of history, World of Nations is one of the best traditions in Jacksonville. This year, held at Tailgater's parking lot, it had a lot of the joy and magic of years past but some opportunities for improvement. The biggest pro? Food from countries you don't typically get to experience. There aren't many opportunities to eat, for example, Indonesian or Turkish or Virgin Islands food in most cities, but you can get all three in a day here. It's also truly wonderful to see so many folks -- vendors and guests -- getting pride and joy out of sharing cultures.Now, the cons:- The venue is not great for accessibility. Lots of grass and gravel, and few shaded areas or seating. I have ambulatory disabled relatives who will never be able to come to this.- Even for abled folks, the seating options are limited to a few picnic tables in a couple areas. While some vendors have finger foods, others stuck to full, fork-and-knife meals that are a challenge to eat while standing. Even standing tables would have been better.- The entry and security lines were a bit confusing and poorly set up; folks who bought tickets in advance had to wait significantly longer in both lines compared to people who waited to purchase tickets at the event.- I don't know whether it was permitted, but there were multiple folks smoking cigarettes and cigars in the event. There should at least be a designated smoking area and enforcement for the safety of folks who could have asthmatic reactions triggered.- The payment options are confusing. You see significant "no cash, card only" signage before entering, and that's true for tickets and drinks. However, some of the stands would only take cash or Venmo / Zelle / Cash app. Payment standardization would be great.- It would be nice to clearly know where / how profits worked for each tent. Am I buying from a restaurant? A community center? I don't mind, I just want to know. And while quite a few vendors had great, relevant trinkets or other items to purchase, a few had some stuff that felt pretty random and low quality.- I saw several political campaign materials. It would be nice if this were kept a campaign-free space. There were a few shirts that threatened violence against certain groups of people, and it was sad to see those allowed in. There was also -- surprisingly -- a Falun Gong table, which seemed surprising as there were no other religious tables (which makes sense, as this event shouldn't promote specific religions).- The drink lines were some of the longest lines because the country vendors were limited in what drinks they were allowed to sell. If you wanted an American soda or a bottled water, you had to go to an official drink stall instead. - There was ZERO representation of countries on the African continent. In earlier years, there would be multiple countries represented. That's a huge chunk of the world to exclude.Despite all that, I still think this is a highlight of this city, and I truly hope it not only continues but is fostered to improve. I'll keep coming even as-is but hope this local jewel gets polished.

What an incredibly horrible experience! DO NOT GO TO THIS EVENT unless your idea of a good food experience is standing in line at four different food stands for hours only to be told they were out of half their menu. One of the four even closed when we reached the cash register having sold their last food to the person that was in front of us in line. That wasn't the worst of it. It took 25 minutes to park, being directed in circles because of poor signage and barely competent staff. It took another 20+ minutes to have our tickets checked and another 25+ to clear the bag check! More than an hour to get into what was nothing more than a pathetic, poorly stocked, extremely slow food court. DON'T GO! P.S. What little food we did get, Indonesian, Turkey, and Cuba was very good but in no way nearly worth the terrible experience, you must endure to get it.

This use to be one of the annual events I rave about. It's the poor man's Epcot and I love it! This year was a MASSIVE disappointment. Not sure if it was moved because of Monster Jam or just because, but the new location seems much smaller and less organized. We were standing in a long ass line for a while until I turned around and asked some of the people if this was the line to get in and they said if you have already purchased tickets there's another entrance, which by the way was towards the front and completely blocked off by people waiting in line to buy tickets.Once we were in we stopped by a few vendors to see the offerings to only find out half the vendors were not selling food, wtf? On top of that the countries were all mixed together. Another disappointment? They had a banner that listed tons of beer sponsors and guess what... They did not sell beer or wine this year.At least they had a ton of port a potties that no one was using.

This may be long. Sorry but as a former food vendor at many festivals in 15 years, I hope the organizers see this critique and make some adjustments.Great idea. Apparently it's been going on for years. That's a + and a -. People are already prepared for it and attendance was very good. The minus is, it seemed "tired & old". First, there are many nations in that there are tents with 1. Food and 2. Crafts. There's a large stage in the middle of the far side. Although there was a printed schedule, we did not see anyone up there. Plenty of parking near the festival. Some of the lots in the outer perimeter could have had "festival this way" signs. It may help people who don't know how to navigate the area. Lines and tickets were handled well. Moved right along. Cards ONLY. Could have printed that better. It's only $5 to get in.We got there at noon and we're on the inside by 5 past. African drummers were scheduled for 12-12:30 but were not on stage. We headed to the "Africa" tent, but nothing.Just a note: Africa is not a nation. It's a continent. Kenya or Nigeria are African nations for example. Also, Puerto Rico is America. Not a problem, just sayin. There were many Caribbean nations. Not many Eastern European. Turkey was represented. No Poland or Russia. I did not see Spain or some others. Food was very well priced and we had some excellent Malaysian food, kebabs from turkey. At first we headed right to the far end where Africa was. Some crafts there were gorgeous and we bought a few items. But as we made our was around most "crafts" were not much more than what you'd expect to see at a flea market and much of it made not in the host country. Cheap junk. Most "crafts" were add ons inside the food tent not separate booths. Most looked like a table was set up so somebody's sister could make a few bucks selling cheap crap. Overall on a scale of 1-10 Crafts get a 1.5.The event has a very large grounds area. Nice so it's not cramped. But the organizers really cheated out on rides and things for kids. There was 1 ride and it was some sort of swing/ circular ride that frankly looked way past its prime. I would not have let my kid on it. It looked like a holdover from a carnival in the 50's. The line was so long. Giving an indication they need more. How about inflatables/ bouncy house etc. The last point I'll make is purely observational. It's not meant as politics. But having moved to the area 2 years ago, it's shocking to me that only 5% of attendees were white. In Jersey, NYC, or New England it would not be that much of a disparity. As part of that 5%, we enjoyed ourselves, me great people of many colors and love event like this. But, we also realize we have a lot to learn about the south. I'm not saying we need more for whites. I'm saying we need people to come together and support our differences and this is a great opportunity to learn. Instead, it's just a cheap place to eat.Would we go again? Maybe. But for no other reason than the emphasis is on food. Organizers need more entertainment and two giant circus tents in the center of the field fulls of arts & crafts would be great.

Absolutely one of the best annual events in downtown Jacksonville. Around 30 countries were represented this year. The actual event opens for just the children, schools & teachers as an educational day the Friday before, but this 2-day event is well worth your time and money. This year Japan had a booth and I loved the energy going on there, but we ended up eating small in Turkey with their hand pies, baklava and coffee. Syria had the best baklava in my opinion as I enjoy mine with pistachios. Either way, go hungry because there are lots of food options. The parking was $10 and entrance was $5 per person. What you spend on food here depends on your appetite. Bring cash. Overall, a very well run event that is highly entertaining and educational. Great way to spend the weekend outside and not have to spend a lot. Recommended

Perhaps it should be called fast food (very little culture) and long lines from around the world? Very disappointed and won't be back.

Makes zero sense to have tickets be non-transferable when there is still capacity for both days. I will unfortunately have to pay for my tickets twice because "as our policy states its non-transferable" like ok well your policy makes no sense and its not just about me it makes no sense for anyone else who has to pay twice to go on another date. The only reason I was given for this being the policy was because changing ticket dates doesn't allow them to account for the attendees, but if accounting for occupants was an issue wouldnt me buying tickets twice make the numbers incorrect? Make it make sense. It really just sounds like an excuse to try to get their constituents to pay twice.