Hundreds of learners, group members and visitors collected at the Tate Heart Promenade on Saturday to celebrate the in-individual return of the Intercontinental Street Festival. The competition highlights the cultural variety that exists in the University of Georgia and the Athens group at massive.
Thrown by the Section of International Student Everyday living, the occasion showcased all the things from a functionality by the Kenya Safari Acrobats to reliable South American cuisine. Associates of UGA’s Filipino Student Affiliation, dressed in prolonged purple skirts and white blouses, performed a standard folk dance acknowledged as Tinikling in which dancers stage about significant bamboo poles to an energetic defeat.
“The pageant seriously delivers all of the numerous cultures [of UGA] collectively. I did not know how numerous our campus actually was until finally nowadays,” claimed FSA member Michelle Pham.
Attendees wander in the pathway of the Zell B. Miller Studying Middle at the Worldwide Road Pageant on April 9, 2022 in Athens, Ga. (Photograph/Sophie McLeod)
The competition welcomed website visitors of all ages — catering to young children with craft tables and a encounter painting booth. With fingers covered in glue and glitter, the young children created global flag garlands, conventional European paper dolls, African jewelry and additional. When asked about her preferred aspect of the function, 4-calendar year-previous Loretta Stafford enthusiastically replied, “The henna tattoos!”
The scent of fried dumplings and Mediterranean potatoes wafted through the Tate garden as attendees lined up to sample meals from a variety of countries. Neighborhood dining establishments such as Mediterranean Grill designed absolutely sure nobody was left unfed. Persons bonded above their overflowing plates as the diverse vendors provided them with second helpings.
“I’m from Malaysia and one particular of the most important issues that reminds me of residence is my mom cooking me food stuff. Heading to all the food items stalls is just so pleasurable and feels homey,” claimed UGA sophomore Jin Lee.
Persons play soccer by the College of Georgia’s bookstore at the Intercontinental Avenue Festival on April 9, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Image/Sophie McLeod)
Throughout the pageant, a tiny soccer activity began exterior of the UGA bookstore — immediately attracting people today of all ages and talent concentrations. Strangers became friends with each individual new spherical, and this was primarily legitimate for UGA sophomore Caleb Kerr.
“I arrived to meet up with a friend but he in no way confirmed up. I just achieved these fellas,” Kerr stated whilst pointing at his teammates on the garden. “I stayed for all the great performances and food items. It’s excellent to see matters that I normally do not have the time to go see or would not get associated in in the initial area if I hadn’t gone to this pageant.”
Though the foods and online games ended up extensively loved, very little introduced persons with each other like the songs. Chinese ballads, upbeat Mexican anthems and leading 40 American hits played during the party, creating a feeling of solidarity amid the group as heads bobbed and feet tapped in unison.
An attendee paints another attendee’s face at the Worldwide Street Competition on April 9, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Image/Sophie McLeod)
Minutes soon after receiving his Alumni Award of Excellence from the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UGA alum Swagata Banerjee revisited his previous stomping grounds at Tate to enjoy the festival for the initially time considering that graduating in 2004. A lifelong musician with performances with the New York Philharmonic less than his belt, Banerjee felt at house on listening to the audio of both of those his and other cultures.
“Music is the universal language. New music and culture imply everything to me. I have witnessed this during my vocation functioning with the Nashville Songwriters Association and my personal band, the Ban Brothers,” Banerjee claimed.
As the event commenced to wind down and households headed in packs toward their autos, the different groups of students who made the celebration take place embraced just one a different, capping off the festival’s in-man or woman return.