UCO hosts Edmond International Festival on Saturday
Ella SpurlockThe Edmond International Festival was hosted at the Edmond Farmers Market this past Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival was hosted by UCO’s International Student Council. The council provided 10 booths that were each run by different UCO international associations. The booths showcased various cultures, including: Arab, Latin America, Iran, India, Africa, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Nepal.
People of all ages were welcome, and each visitor was given a paper passport to get stamps from each booth. The stamps then acted as a ticket for visitors to get free food from the 10 countries represented. The booths were decorated with traditional memorabilia and some had refreshments of their own, such as candy or coffee. Each booth also provided the visual of traditional clothing and information about history and customs to give the community an insight into the life of a citizen outside the United States.
“As a mom of two, this is by far my favorite event that I’ve taken my kids to. They get a chance to explore the world from downtown Edmond and they even made some friends,” said visitor Amy Davis.
The Festival also hosted dance performances. One performance was Bharatanatyam, an Indian dance style that originated from South India in Tamil Nadu. This dance style is the oldest and most popular in India.
“It really is beautiful. Being able to watch people be able to share their love for their country with others made my day,” said festival goer, Jonathan Rogers.
Traditional dances, food and history have the power to bring a community together and that is what the Edmond International Festival did. From UCO students to Edmond residents, everyone got the chance to explore different cultures as a community.
The UCO student associations that participated in the festival include the Association of Latin America, the African Student Association, the Arab Student Association, the Indian Student Association, the Iranian Student Association, the Japanese Student Association, the Korean Student Association, the Nepali Student Association, the Malaysian Student Association and the Vietnamese Student Association.