Photo courtesy of United Nations Association of the USA
Indian girls perform to a Hindi song at a past festival.
The festival, which is hosted by the United Nations Association of the USA Columbus Chapter, features food, entertainment and vendors from more than 80 countries across the globe.
The festival opens Saturday with the Parade of Nations, which features people representing a variety of cultures.
Entertainment highlights for this year include the Columbus International Children’s Choir, the Columbus Children’s Choir and OSU Hillel Folk Dancers. Dance troupes and instrumental ensembles from India, Korea, Africa, Germany and England will be performing.
The festival has drawn local and outside talent to add a mixture of local, national and international performers, said Frank Titus, president of UNA-USA Columbus chapter.
“We have entertainment continuously on two stages that is very diverse in terms of parts of world,” Titus said.
The United Nations Association of the USA is a nationwide organization headquartered in New York City designed to inform, educate and inspire citizens about the United Nations. For years, the festival was held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds but has made Veterans Memorial its home for the past two decades. What began as an extended celebration of United Nations day, which is observed annually on Oct. 24, the Columbus International Festival has grown to an event that regularly draws a crowd of thousands. The organization has recently tried to market to Columbus’ large Somalian population.
“We have specifically tried to attract those from the Somalian community,” Titus said. “We’re very interested in having them.”
Another crowd favorite is the diverse jewelry sold by vendors, Titus said.
In addition to shopping, the festival also provides an array of educational opportunities for attendees, including hands-on activities and interactive projects.
For students looking to study abroad, there will be traveling tips on various countries’ climates, cultures and immunizations that might be needed before making a trip. Networking opportunities with international and local organizations will be available as well. Representatives from both the American Red Cross and Peace Corps will be available to answer any questions about international and domestic employment opportunities.
The Columbus International Festival is 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.
Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students.
For more information, visit www.unacol.org.
Jamila Williams can be reached at [email protected].
