Hmong Freedom Festival underway in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The 39th annual Hmong Freedom Festival kicked off at McMurray Fields in St. Paul on Saturday.

The community came together for the weekend-long festival that celebrates Hmong culture with live music, sports, food, and other fun.

More than 50,000 people are expected to visit the festival this weekend and volunteers tell us it brings in folks from all over.

"A lot of people actually travel in from other states just for this festivity, so it’s really amazing and it’s very cultural,” says Mary Xiong, volunteer. “So if people want to come out and enjoy some Hmong cultural activities, this is definitely the place and the time of year.”

The festival continues on Sunday. Visitors might notice some extra security this year after possible threats against the festival popped up online and on fliers left on cars in St. Paul.

Even before the threats, police said they planned to increase security after an incident in 2018. Last year, a 19-year-old man was killed after police said a fight between gangs escalated.