"If you have never had a good Romanian cold beer with freshly grilled mici, mustard and warm bread, I promise you, it heals the soul." Carmen Gogu said that to the Matthews Board of Commissioners on Aug. 24, the night she asked to serve beer at this year's Romanian-American Cultural Festival, as the Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly reported.
The vote was unanimous. This Saturday, Oct. 24, the festival comes back to Stumptown Park for its second year. It runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 120 S. Trade St., and admission is free. The festival has changed since its first run last November, and the changes say something about who it belongs to now. The date moved three weeks earlier. Last year's plan called for food trucks. This year, local Romanian cooks are preparing the savory plates, and the Romanian-American Carolina Alliance is selling them directly.
Last November's Plan Relied on Food Trucks
The first festival took place on Nov. 15, 2025. When the idea went to commissioners on Oct. 27 that year, it came from Bianca Terejanu of Hex5. "I always wanted to create something to bring together Romanian and American communities and to share traditions, culture, food, music and dance," she said, according to the Weekly's preview of that first event.
The plan she described was set up like most park festivals. Four food trucks would come: two American, one Italian and one Romanian. The Romanian truck would sell mititei, the grilled ground-meat sausages. Divine Barrel Brewing and Seaboard Brewing were part of the plans for alcohol, and commissioners approved serving it by a 6-1 vote. The plan also had Romanian music, a chance to join the hora circle dance, artisan tables, and booths from the Matthews Heritage Museum, Dream Weavers of Matthews and International House.
That was the plan going in. A Hoodline story from this September confirmed what actually happened at the debut: Romanian folk music, traditional dance, Eastern European food trucks and local artisans.
This Year the Menu Comes From Romanian Cooks
The second festival's food is set up differently. Charlotte on the Cheap's listing says the savory dishes are "prepared and sold directly through RO Carolina thanks to the incredible support of local pillar Romanian cooks." RO Carolina is the alliance's short name.
Here's how the two years compare, based on what each year's coverage described:
| 2025 debut, as planned | 2026, as listed | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 15 | Saturday, Oct. 24 |
| Who went before commissioners | Bianca Terejanu of Hex5, presenting the festival and an alcohol request | Carmen Gogu, seeking an alcohol exemption |
| Food source | Four food trucks: two American, one Italian, one Romanian | Cooked and sold through RO Carolina with local Romanian cooks |
| Romanian dishes named | Mititei | Mici, cabbage rolls with polenta, beans with sausages, plus a full dessert table |
| Beer | Approved 6-1, brewery partners named in plans | Approved unanimously, limited to a designated area |
The dessert list is long. Charlotte on the Cheap lists amandine, savarine, eclairs, homemade cheese pastries, apple strudels, dobos, cremes, sweet bread and traditional crackers. Two local Romanian vendors will serve cafea la ibric, the traditional coffee, along with other nonalcoholic drinks. Cold beer is sold on site, inside the designated area.
It isn't all Romanian food. The same listing includes brisket, pork belly, pulled pork, mac and cheese and barbecue beans. If someone in your group would skip the cabbage rolls, they'll still find lunch.
Why the Community Wants to Host It Themselves
Gogu's own story explains part of why the festival matters to its organizers. She told commissioners she came to the United States from Romania 17 years ago "with a backpack and a dream," and that finding the alliance made her feel closer to home, according to the Weekly.
"This festival is about remembering where we came from while celebrating the place we now call home."
She said the festival is about "Romanian parents watching their children dance to music their grandparents danced to thousands of miles away." She also described it as a way of "introducing our American family, friends and neighbors to traditions that they may have never experienced before."
The alliance describes itself as a nonprofit, community-driven organization that supports and connects Romanian and American communities across North and South Carolina. On the festival page, the group says it organizes the event independently and isn't tied to any one church. It welcomes support from Romanian churches in the area of every denomination.
The town has seen this kind of growth before. When the first Romanian festival was announced, the Weekly noted that Stumptown Park already hosted the Festival of India and Ciao Italia Matthews. At the Aug. 24 meeting, as the Weekly's follow-up reported, Commissioner John Urban made the motion to approve beer. He mentioned he had visited Romania a few months earlier and found it lovely. Mayor John Higdon said, "I think these types of festivals are awesome to introduce folks to new things maybe that they're not familiar with."
How Saturday Is Scheduled
The program starts on time and then stays loose for the rest of the day:
- 11 a.m. The opening ceremony. Bethany Brass Band plays the Romanian and American national anthems, then classical music.
- Through the afternoon Live folk music from special guest Adriana Bucevschi and other local artists.
- All day DJ Elite Entertainment plays background music, along with a kids' cultural craft zone and tables from local vendors and artisans.
- Until 4 p.m. Romanian and American street food, desserts, coffee and beer.
The Eventbrite page lists free parking and says cards are preferred for food and drink. The festival also has a Facebook event for last-minute changes.
Starting at the Farmers Market
This year's date puts the festival inside the farmers market's season. The Matthews Community Farmers' Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon through Nov. 21, 2026, at 188 N. Trade St., next to Renfrows. That gives you an hour on Saturday when both are open on the same street.
- Get to the market early, before the busy part of the morning, and pick up your produce.
- Walk south on Trade Street to Stumptown Park in time for Bethany Brass Band's anthems at 11.
- Eat lunch at the festival, and save room for the dessert table and coffee.
Since the festival opens at 11, the anthems are the one part with a fixed time. The rest runs until 4, so there's no rush once you're in the park.
Stumptown Park's Next Big Date
The park's next major event is Winter Wonderlights on Saturday, Dec. 5. It runs from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., with the lighting ceremony starting around 5:30 and the tree and park lights coming on around 6:30. Charlotte Academy of Music, Crestdale Middle School Chorus, Charlotte Dance Alliance and Metrolina Christian Academy Choir are on the performance list. Sweet & Cozy Bakery and Hungry Howie's Pizza are the scheduled food trucks.
The town's event page marks one piece as new in 2026: a holiday market run by the Matthews Area Chamber of Commerce, open from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Free Clinic lots and the back of Stumptown Park. It opens an hour before the program starts and stays open an hour after the lights come on.
We love seeing downtown Matthews fill up for weekends like this one, and we hope to see you at Stumptown Park on Saturday. When you're ready to talk about your own place in Matthews, the team at Jeremy Ordan would be glad to help. Start your next move with a trusted team. Let's talk.
