Saving Philly Festivals: A Global Conversation with Monica Montgomery

Philly Festivals are a fun experience, but also integral to preserving cultures. With these community events facing financial hardship and governmental pressure, opportunities to gather and express cultural pride are dwindling. Monica O. Montgomery, a museum curator and former Community Engagement Manager for PHILADELPHIA250, recognized the dire need to preserve these celebrations and set to work to do something about it. In honor of her efforts she has been named a 2026 PA Humanities Window Keeper.

As Philadelphia is in the full swing of semiquincentennial celebrations, many festivals included, Monica fully brings these events’ significance and role in communities to light. Monica shares the origins and plans for her nonprofit, DiasporaDNA, and Save Philly Festivals in this Global Conversation.

What sparked your interest in preserving Philly’s festivals?

I grew up in a family that loved festivals and went to a lot of them. I’ve always seen them as their own art form and part of the creative economy. When I moved to Philadelphia for college, I got to witness the dynamic vibrancy of the city, public gatherings, night markets, and block parties. Then, I realized over time that some of these beloved festivals were slowly disappearing.  

People don't realize what it takes to support and sustain an event for the benefit of the public. I wanted to shine a light on this work. I'm obtaining my doctorate in community engagement, and through my research, I’ve seen how festivals need support in a landscape where sponsors are scarce, attention spans are shorter and the cost of producing events is increasing.

In addition, cultural festivals are threatened by crackdowns on immigration. People from other countries don't always feel safe to come together for fear of deportation and sanctions. All of those things made me want to create an initiative to support and save Philly festivals. 

Why are you passionate about cultural preservation through this avenue?

Festivals are where we gather and immerse ourselves in customs, cultures, activations, and fun. Festival stages can feature the best and brightest local talent and every vendor is a small business seeking avenues to sell their products. Festivals power our economy, fuel people's dreams, and help people gain economic self-sufficiency.

I come from a background in museum exhibit curation, having worked at the Smithsonian Institution, the Mütter Museum, Historic Germantown and Weeksville Heritage Center. I know the power of exhibits, and yet I realize exhibits can also be one sided. To create more participation, I host Save Philly Festival Tours, allowing guests the opportunity to learn the history of festivals, support the vendors, and experience the events live as they are happening. This format has been dynamic bringing the stories to life more than any documentary, talk, or exhibit ever could.  

The positive community impact of festivals is undeniable. The celebration of the semiquincentennial, which I was involved in planning and was produced by the Philadelphia Visitor Center, is titled ‘Ring It On!’ The city, under the leadership of Mayor Cherelle L Parker, is supporting 20 different commercial corridor celebrations, such as festivals, block parties, farmers' markets, night markets, and special events that highlight local and international cultures. With that being the way we celebrate, this is the year to highlight the history, vitality, and importance of those celebrations.

People are culturally curious. Sometimes people don't know what is okay or what is offensive, but you can always go experience culture at a festival and a live event. Festivals are the ultimate expression of a diaspora, which is a group of people that started in one place and moved to another. Most of us are in the diaspora. America is a country of immigrants and migrants, and wherever we are, whatever brought us here, we’re able to immerse ourselves in culture. We can build our tolerance and respect for people from other places, and we can certainly vibe out together with food trucks, music, and festivity.

What role is Save Philly Festivals and DiasporaDNA playing in the larger community?

The Save Philly Festivals initiative is one strand of the work of DiasporaDNA’s Story Center, the cultural center that I founded. I created this nonprofit in honor of my dearly departed family. Our SPF programs include a Think Tank for producers, a website for event goers, a children’s book for families, a workforce development track for careers, and a curriculum for students to learn about festivals. It has been a real joy to build out this programming with the community.

Our Think Tank workshops connect festival producers to resources and each other. We offer technical assistance to connect, support, teach, and train them. Our unique website, SavePhillyFestivals.com, is being rebuilt to include a search tool, ratings, and calendar listings of all local festivals. Our SPF curriculum features local geography, math, art, and event planning learnings, which is a means for school children to learn how important and special festivals are.

We are here to support the festival ecosystem in every way. It is extreme community engagement, and we're trying to create a network of festival producers, sponsors, vendors and festival lovers across the tri-state area.

It's an angle that most have not explored. People might go to festivals and passively enjoy them, but haven't thought about the history of them or how these events become sustainable. We see festivals as longstanding community anchors. They are the living archive of the city's cultural legacy, and they need more people to see, support, and save them.

What local organizations have you grown connections with through these initiatives?

It's been great to connect with a range of multifaceted organizations, fellow nonprofits, funders, small businesses, and community groups. We have dived deep into our festival producer community and are supporting a number of festivals through the tour, such as North Philadelphia-based Jazz on the Ave, which just celebrated 25 years and is produced by our partners at Beech Community Services; Feria de Barrio, produced by our partners at Taller Puertorriqueño; Sullivan Progress Plaza; and other amazing cultural partners.

We have also become a part of the tour guide community, which I never saw coming. We are connected with Philly Experiences and gotten great support from the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides. They have wonderful resources and we met a lot of our current team members at their job fair at the Free Library.  

We recently received a transformational William Penn Foundation grant, as well as a Philadelphia Cultural Fund grant. Pennsylvania Creative Industries is also a funding partner. Part of this work is connecting with a vast array of foundations, thought leaders, grant makers and program partners.

You are a former professor and museum curator. How have these experiences been valuable?

I was a professor at the University of the Arts. I was teaching museum studies at the graduate level, and I really enjoyed that experience. My curriculum centered on museum equity, innovative approaches to education and social justice. I served on the board of the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia to contribute my wealth of knowledge of over 15 years in the sector. 

I was passionate to give back to the next generation of emerging professionals. The council had a great mentoring program, so I served as a mentor for three students and young professionals. Through teaching, curating and mentoring, I love being of service and sharing knowledge with young professionals that are coming up in the field.

What are DiasporaDNA and Save Philly Festivals looking forward to this year?

We are excited to be in our new headquarters at Cherry Street Pier. We are on the 2nd floor in Suite 13, and folks are welcome to come visit us Wednesday through Saturday between 12 and 6 pm. We will be hosting different art workshops, educational opportunities, and ways to bring all of this festival content to life. We have our inaugural exhibit “In Diaspora…” opening this fall that highlights festivals as an expression of diasporas around the city.

We're also excited to be piloting more educational programming. We're working on a pop-up exhibit for our route festivals that we could bring to schools, community centers, and senior centers. On September 27th, we are hosting an event called the Kinkeeping Summit. This event invites people out for a fun day of genealogy workshops and family tree scrapbooking, tracing family history, and saluting the Kinkeepers. Kinkeeping is a term that inspires us, and it's celebrating the people in the community or in your family that keep the bonds tight and pass on wisdom. We will be encouraging people to tap into learning more about their identity and saluting the kinkeepers in the community.

How can people become more engaged with festivals and cultural learning?

We want people to attend and appreciate festivals and learn about culture with us on our tours. We offer a membership program that people can join to tap in, make friends, and see the city through a different lens. We welcome donations, sponsorships, and partnership to support and sustain this hyperlocal work.

DiasporaDNA is a multicultural cultural center. While our physical footprint is small, our concept and our capacity to hold communities is vast. We want people to see themselves in our mission to honor different diasporas, and connect with diverse groups all over the city.

I believe that everybody is a culture bearer, and most have ancestors and identities they want to celebrate. I encourage everyone to honor your ancestors, say their names, remember them, and hold their legacies tight as you go through life.