Food festivals celebrate diverse cuisines across cities

Bakersfield’s Greek Food Festival continued a tradition dating to 1974, bringing Greek food, music and dancing to St. George Greek Orthodox Church; organizers hoped attendance would top last year’s roughly 8,000, with proceeds supporting the church and volunteers helping sustain the event. In Melbourne, the International Dumpling Festival is set to return to Queen Victoria Market on Nov. 2 after a seven-year hiatus, celebrating dumplings from cultures around the world. Palm Desert’s Yum Food Fest and Night Market went ahead despite stormy weather, featuring food trucks, music and family activities, including a new Hawaiian luau. A separate video preview highlighted the kitchen preparations behind Cherry Hill’s Greek Agora Food Festival, another fall celebration of Mediterranean food.