Each July, downtown Lowell’s cobblestoned mill district turns into one of the country’s great free parties — the longest-running free folk festival in the United States — with traditional music pouring off stages scattered across the historic blocks. The food is its own reason to make the trip: every food vendor at the festival is a nonprofit, mostly local churches, schools, and cultural groups cooking the dishes of their own heritage.

That makes eating here a genuinely charitable act — the profits go back to the organizations’ missions, not the festival, and for many groups it’s the biggest fundraiser of the year. Graze your way through Greek, Portuguese, Cambodian, Filipino, Caribbean, and African plates near Boarding House Park and the other stage areas. It suits music lovers, families, and anyone who likes to eat well for a good cause. Admission is free; come hungry.