Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--More than 70 nations will be represented Saturday [April 5] when Mississippi State welcomes the 18th annual International Fiesta.
Open to all, the cultural extravaganza begins at 10 a.m. at The Junction, the newest university green space adjacent to Davis Wade Stadium.
"The International Fiesta brings different pieces of different parts of the world to campus and makes people aware of the many different cultures we have represented here on campus," said Shaz Akram, program coordinator for the Richard Holmes Cultural Diversity Center.
The MSU center and international education academic program are co-sponsoring the event with Starkville's World Neighbors Association.
A presentation of international flags begins the day's activities, followed by a fashion show displaying the traditional and cultural influences of students and family members from various countries.
Also planned are musical and dance performances; arts and crafts exhibits; costume displays; and an international cooking contest, among others.
Several children-oriented booths will require the purchase of a 25-cent ticket or a book of five tickets for $1. These include a caricature artist; pabitan, a Filipino children's game; pinata contest; face painting; and a moonwalk.
Following the fiesta, a match between the MSU and Ole Miss cricket clubs will take place 3-5 p.m. on the Drill Field.
For more information about the InternationalFiesta, telephone Akram at 662-325-2033 or visit www.wneighbors.org/fiesta.html.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.