Roots and Heritage Festival celebrates cultural and diverse roots

The festival wraps up Sunday with a gospel program at the Lyric Theatre.

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ)- The annual Roots and Heritage Festival returned to downtown Lexington for the first time since 2019.

The festival celebrates and supports educational and cultural diversity through activities and entertainment.

The 33rd annual event brought a parade, kids fest, dozens of vendors, and live music.

Organizers say they were concerned about safety this year- given the recent string of violence. They say more security has been added, including a bigger police presence.

“We have extra security here just in case. I know there’s been a big push to try to tell the young people this is sacred ground. This is about our heritage. I encourage everybody, the entire community to come. I don’t think festivals like this- cultural and heritage festivals are just for a particular group, in that you have to learn about each other in order to be able to work together and grow,” said festival chair Kimberly Baird.

The festival wraps up Sunday with a gospel program at the Lyric Theatre.