St. Pete's SPIFFS festival raises a glass to immigrants, year-after-year: ‘We are celebrating what they added to the fabric of our country’

A colorful traditional Chinese dragon puppet on display at a fair hosted by the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society (SPIFFS). The large red and yellow dragon features a red pearl in its mouth and is positioned next to a decorative red lantern on a bamboo pole in an outdoor grassy field. Scene from the 2025 SPIFFS Fair. Credit: c/o SPIFFS

In 1975, thousands of immigrants had recently moved to Pinellas County as the Vietnam war made their home countries inhospitable. As anti-immigrant reactions spread, the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society (SPIFFS) was formed to showcase the beautiful things people from other cultures can bring to our community.

In the decades since, SPIFFS has held annual events celebrating the customs and food of the many ethnicities that make up Pinellas and surrounding counties.

This weekend, the festival marks a milestone with its 50th International Folk Fair.

Set for Saturday, March 7, Mar. 7 at England Brothers park in Pinellas Park, the festival includes two dozen nationalities presenting a mix of music, food, dance, martial arts demonstrations, sword fighting, handmade goods, and more from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

SPIFFS will even have an international beer tent and two performance stages. The “Parade of Nations” will end in a naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens. The event wraps with a Vietnamese dragon dance.

Many of the groups are staffed by first or second-generation U.S. residents. Countries represented at this year’s festival include Vietnam, Germany, Ukraine, Jamaica, and Eritrea—where Olympic medalist and Tampa resident Meb Keflezighi was born back when it was still a part of Ethiopia.

“Fifty years later, we are celebrating what immigrants have brought to our country and added to the fabric of our country. That mission is still exactly the same,” SPIFFS contributor JoEllen Schilke told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “It’s just really sad that we need it just as much as we needed it 50 years ago. You’d think in 50 years, maybe we would have gotten a little bit better.”

A "Chinese" cultural booth at the 50th Annual SPIFFS International Folk Fair in Pinellas Park. The scene features a large panda mascot, a traditional lion dance head, and a white tent flying an American flag under a bright blue sky. Scene from the 2025 SPIFFS Fair. Credit: c/o SPIFFS

SPIFFS is also hoping people can connect with their roots through the event. Schilke said that the Scottish and Indian tents at last year’s fair saw a lot of people with Scottish or Indian heritage approaching to try to learn more about where they came from. “Is your grandma from Poland? Is your auntie from Venezuela? … Let’s celebrate the roots of where they’ve come from,” Schilke said.

Beyond fighting anti-immigrant sentiment and connecting people with their roots, SPIFFS just wants everyone to have an affordable good time. Ticket prices haven’t gone up since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (general admission is just $14), parking is free, and Schilke says all the food is priced between $3–$10.

“What we can do is present the joyful side of (immigration),” Schilke told CL. “The side that people sometimes forget about when the news is trying to gin up drama. You know, here are people who are making delicious food. Here are people who work really hard. Here are people who are proud of being American and proud of their history.”

Tickets to the SPIFFS Fair happening Saturday, March 7 at England Brothers park in Pinellas Park are still available for $14.

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This article appears in Feb. 26 – Mar. 04, 2026.