Area residents can take a trip around the world this weekend, just by visiting Weirton.

After a hiatus of a few years, the Festival of Nations is making its return Saturday, providing an afternoon of live entertainment, food, and more, reflective of the melting pot of cultures represented in our region.

Organized by the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, the festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millsop Community Center, and there is no charge to enter.

The Festival of Nations has a long and storied history tied to the Weirton community.

It’s original version ran from 1934 to 1944, inspired by a pageant held at Weir High School and organized by employees of Weirton Steel.

Held on the Labor Day weekend, it featured a parade to showcase the nationalities represented in the people of Weirton, many of whom had arrived in the Upper Ohio Valley only within the 15 to 20 years before. There were songs and dances, as well as inter-departmental athletic competitions for the Weirton Steel employees.

It’s focus changed a bit as the United States entered World War II, but overall, it was always about celebrating culture and community.

The modern version of the festival began in 2009, in observance of the centennial of the founding of Weirton Steel.

While missing the athletic competitions, it still focused on the ideas of culture and community, bringing people of various ethnic backgrounds together to showcase their heritage.

The last festival was held in 2019, with plans for a 2020 event canceled because of the COVID pandemic.

Museum volunteers, led by J.K. Luthra, decided to bring it back this year, again, offering an opportunity for residents to hear the music and see the dancing of a variety of cultures, all on the stage of the Millsop Community Center gymnasium, while also sampling from a selection of foods from around the world.

In a time when we often look for ways to be separate for one reason or another, it is good to have an opportunity to come together, recognize the similarities that exist along with our differences, and celebrate the community we have, what has been, and what will be.