On Thursday, Feb. 23, The International Food Festival took place on John Brown University’s campus. It was a tremendous success, bringing together students from 12 different countries to showcase their culinary traditions. The festival was a fantastic opportunity for international students to share their cultural heritage with the local community and University students. The atmosphere was busy, with mariachi music adding to the festive atmosphere.

Upon arrival, every guest received two tickets, allowing them to have two portions of food. Guests were also able to buy more tickets if they wanted to try more dishes. Xavi Maldonado, a freshman from El Salvador, was thrilled to be able to cook pupusas with his fellow Salvadoran students. Pupusas are a traditional Salvadoran dish made from corn tortillas that are filled with cheese and beans. He shared his excitement about sharing part of his culture with the people who came to enjoy the Food Festival. “It was a great experience to make pupusas with my Salvadoran friends,” Xavi said. “It’s an important dish from our home country, and it was great to see how much everyone loved it and wanted more.”

Samara Cuesta, a freshman from Mexico, was also excited to share with her peers about her culture. “It was a good experience to be able to share our culture with others,” she said. “I loved seeing how much people enjoyed our food and learning about our traditions.”

One of the highlights of the festival was the wide variety of dishes offered. From Moroccan food to Chinese Spring Onion Pancakes, guests treated themselves to a fantastic range of international cuisine. According to Cuesta, she expressed that “it was clear that every international student had put a lot of thought and care into their dishes.”

The festival exemplified how food can bring people together. In addition to the food, there was also plenty of entertainment for the guests. The mariachi band played throughout the night, and there were also traditional dances and performances from some of the participating countries. It was a real celebration of diversity.

Overall, the International Food Festival was largely a success. The event saw around 200 attendees enjoying this festival. It was a great opportunity for international students to share their cultures and traditions with the local community.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Joe Walenciak