Jensuya & Bob fuse the foreign with the familiar to emerge with a passionate performance that redefines belly dance in America today. (Photo Provided)

BELPRE — The 2025 Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival will be held June 20-22 in a new location for this year.

Due to construction at City Park, this year’s festival will be held across the river at Civitan Park in Belpre.

The festival is free to the public and celebrates diversity with a variety of artists and performers, with a goal of highlighting various cultural and ethnic groups and showcasing artistic performances of traditional music and dance. There will be children’s activities, bubblemaking performances, inflatables, the STEAM Machine from Discovery World on Market and other attractions.

In addition to crafts and foods from many cultures, a variety of performers will be featured during the three-day festival, including Master Sen Gao, Kanai Yoshida, Shaun Booker Dammit Band, Harriet Tubman, Folkloric, Mad Maudlin, Allegro, Josh Donaway, Jensuya, Grupo Fuego, Wayward Dancers, MojoFlo, Steve Free, Ugata and Oyo.

* The Shaun Booker Dammit Band is a hard hitting rocking blues band based in Columbus, Ohio. Brooker is an international recording artist. She has successfully toured Europe and South America numerous times. She was inducted into The Columbus Blues Hall of Fame, winner of The Columbus Blues Challenge and was crowned The Empress of Beale St.

Oyo weaves together threads of folk, honky-tonk, bluegrass, and rock. (Photo Provided)

* Ilene Evans will portray Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery in Maryland but escaped through the Underground Railroad in 1849. She became the most famous leader of that network, aiding slaves in their escape to free states and Canada. When the Civil War erupted her underground experiences and knowledge of covert operations made her an invaluable resource to Federal officers. She served as a spy, nurse, scout, and guide for Union troops and was present at the ill-fated assault of Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts in South Carolina.

* Folkloric Dance Ensemble is a group from the Upper Ohio Valley that performs international dances from a variety of cultures. They are specifically bringing Eastern European and Israeli dances to the stage.

* Mad Maudlin is a four-piece Celtic folk band that leans into Scottish and Irish traditions. They play upbeat songs and tender ballads in tight three- and four-part harmony. Mad Maudlin plays traditional instrumentals featuring fiddle, guitar, bouzouki, whistle, button box accordion, Scottish Highland pipes, small pipes, djembe, and bodhrán. They also incorporate modern and original songs and tunes into their repertoire.

* Allegro Dance Company brings Italian heritage to life with Rinascita, a high-energy dance performance blending ancient tradition and modern movement. At its heart is a solo inspired by Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, symbolizing cultural rebirth and resilience.

* Josh Donaway is the grandson of the late Gene Donaway, the festival’s co-founder, and son of the late Jay Donaway. He is performing in honor of his father and grandfather. He and his band cover country, classic oldies, and radio hits.

MojoFlo, led by vocalist Amber Knicole. (Photo Provided)

* Jensuya & Bob fuse the foreign with the familiar to emerge with a passionate performance that redefines belly dance in America today. With roots in West Virginia and spirit in the Middle East, the couple throws down the gauntlet to stereotypes in their show.

* Since its inception in 1999, Grupo Fuego has blazed a trail as a pillar of passion, consistency, and electrifying Latin rhythms. With a lineup that has remained unshaken for over 25 years, the band’s chemistry and powerhouse sound have become legendary, mirroring the explosive rise of Latin music itself.

* Wayward Dancers, sponsored by the Parkersburg YMCA, is a belly dance troupe on a mission to keep the Mid-Ohio Valley moving to the music while supporting local charities. Classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m. at the YMCA.

* MojoFlo is a powerhouse Neo-Funk band, known for infectious rhythms, soulful vocals, and high-power live sets. The band’s vocalist Amber Knicole leads the charge on stage while singing the house down. By combining hard hitting horns, seductive melodies, and a thrilling stage show MojoFlo has built a transcendental-funky musical experience.

* Steve Free’s music is drawn from his Native American Shawnee/Cherokee and Appalachian roots. His CD “Ship of Dreams” was named one of the Top 50 Albums of 2015 and received a Grammy nomination in 2016. He has had three Americana Music Award nominations.

Grupo Fuego has blazed a trail as a pillar of passion, consistency, and electrifying Latin rhythms. (Photo Provided)

* Ugata is a drum performance led by Lawrence Greene. He is the founder of Ugata, a cultural education and social services organization based in Southeast Ohio. He is an Artsbridge catalog artist and teaches percussion in southern Ohio and West Virginia. He has been performing and teaching West African drum traditions for 15 years.

* Volcano Choy founded HulaDancers in 2003 with the mission to produce authentic Hawaiian Luau experience for events not only in Hawaii, but nationwide and abroad.

* Oyo weaves together threads of folk, honky-tonk, bluegrass, and rock into a sound that feels both familiar and entirely their own. Oyo trades off lead vocals between Aaron Martin (fiddle, mandolin), Cole Adair (guitar) and Michael Bond (guitar, keys, harmonica, spoons), with Bobby Rosenstock (banjo), Drew Tanner (bass), and Joe Ryckebosch (drums, washboard) joining in.

The schedule of main stage performances includes:

FRIDAY, June 20

* 6 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies

​* 6:30 p.m.: Master Sen Gao

* 7:10 p.m.: Kanai Yoshida

* 7:50 p.m.: Master Sen Gao

* 8:30 p.m.: Shaun Booker Dammit Band

SATURDAY, June 21

* 11 a.m.: High Schools That Rock

* 12:05 p.m.: Harriet Tubman

* 1:10 p.m.: Folkloric

* 1:45 p.m.: Mad Maudlin

* 3:25 p.m.: Allegro

* 4:05 p.m.: Josh Donaway

* 5 p.m.: Jensuya

* 5:50 p.m.: Folkloric

* 6:30 p.m.: Grupo Fuego

* 8 p.m.: Wayward Dancers

* 8:30 p.m.: MojoFlo

SUNDAY, June 22

* 12 p.m.: Interfaith Devotions

* 12:30 p.m.: Steve Free

* 1:40 p.m.: Ugata

* 2:50 p.m.: Hula dancers

* 4 p.m.: Oyo

Wayne Towner can be reached at wtowner@newsandsentinel.com