Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis’ celebration of world food, fashion, music and culture will take place Feb. 18.
The 12th International Festival begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. More than 40 student organizations, academic departments, nonprofits and vendors are participating in this year’s celebration.
The festival is free and open to the public.
The festival is one of IUPUI’s most visual traditions, from the flags from countries around the world hanging in the Campus Center to the colorful attire attendees wear to the event while vying for the “best dressed” contest prize.
Foods from around the world are the most popular aspect of the festival, said Deb Neary, manager of information and communications for the IUPUI Office of International Affairs. “People love to sample the food,” she said. “They love the variety and the exotic tastes.”
Foods that will be available for sampling are chai tea from India, chicken adobo from the Philippines, churros from Mexico, flaky spinach pie and red lentil kofte from Turkey, and baklava from the Middle East.
Music and dance are also part of the festival’s sights and sounds. Musical performances include a 1 p.m. performance by the Griot Ensemble, a local African drum group.
An awards ceremony to honor outstanding work expanding IUPUI’s global engagement is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. in the Campus Center atrium. The Office of International Affairs awards include the Susan Buck Sutton Awards for Study Abroad, one for faculty and the other for staff, and the IUPUI Global Engagement Award, which is given to an organization. This year’s recipients are:
- Jennifer Lee of the Herron School of Art & Design, receiving the Sutton Faculty Award
- Lisa Chambers, assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Services, receiving the Sutton Staff Award
- Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, a cooperative university in Mannheim, Germany, receiving the IUPUI Global Engagement Award. DHBW has worked closely with the School of Engineering and Technology for 26 years, providing engineering internships in Germany for IUPUI students.
Donations for Syrian refugees will be collected at the festival and sent to a refugee camp in Jordan. Attendees are encouraged to bring new items such as socks, wet wipes and children’s toys.
There will be lectures on a range of global issues during the festival and a showing of the humorous documentary “Being Canadian.” The film features celebrities with Canadian backgrounds discussing what it means to “be Canadian.” Among them are Cobie Smulders (the “Iron Man” series and TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”) and Seth Rogen (“Neighbors” and the “Kung Fu Panda” series), plus Michael J. Fox, Mike Myers, William Shatner, Dan Aykroyd, Conan O’Brien and Will Arnett.