10th Annual Florida Tech International Festival Celebrates Diversity

08 Feb 10th Annual Florida Tech International Festival Celebrates Diversity

Travel the world without ever leaving the Florida Institute of Technology campus when the 10th Annual International Festival comes to Panther Plaza from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20.

Through performances, food and hands-on experiences, festival attendees will experience the rich cultural variety that enlivens both the university – home to students from more than 120 countries – and the broader Space Coast community.

There will be performances by Florida Tech groups, including the all-faculty rock band TWITCHY, and Latin American, African, Caribbean, Sri Lankan and Omani student associations. Many of those associations, as well as other Florida Tech groups including the Chinese, Muslim and Taiwanese student associations, the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, the International Student Service Organization and the Institute for Cross Cultural Management, will offer cultural displays.

The festival will feature community groups, as well.

Voice Indonesia in Florida, Space Coast Hula School, L’Ahavat Tzion, St. Joseph’s Catholic School Spanish Club, Capoeira Karkara Melbourne and Mariposa Monarca are scheduled to perform. Some of them, and others including Hearts Out to Haiti and Space Coast Vikings/Sons of Norway, will also offer displays.

Food vendors will be Old School Pizza, Hazel’s Caribbean Restaurant, La Estancia De Luisa Colombian restaurant, Joumana’s Mediterranean Cuisine and Irashiai 2 Japanese Bistro. Chilly Willy Ice Cream & Sno-Balls will be dishing out the treats in the children’s area.

Speaking of children, the festival will feature several children’s activities, including face painting and carnival games. And a popular feature from last year’s event will return: the Passport to the World program, where children are instructed to visit five cultural displays to get their passports stamped. Once they return with five stamps, they are eligible for a prize.

The festival will be held in Clemente Center if it rains.

Sponsors of the 10th Annual International Festival are the Florida Tech Office of International Student and Scholar Services, WFIT 89.5 FM, the Florida Tech Office of Business and Retail Operations and the Florida Tech Alumni Association.

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