Multicultural Festival planned for this weekend

World travelers need not leave Carson City this weekend.

Western Nevada Community College's Multicultural Festival will offer food, music, dance and art from countries around the world Saturday.

"Where else can you go to see Japanese, Hawaiian and Irish dancing, eat Indian or Mexican tacos, and learn about cultures from Scandinavia to the Ivory Coast?" asked festival coordinator Joanne Ostergaard, "It's truly an entire world of experiences right here at the WNCC campus in Carson City."

The ethnic food booths will include menus from Columbia, Finland, Mexico and Scandinavia as well as El Salvadorian pupusas, American hamburgers, carne asada tacos and Native American tacos and fry bread.

The eighth annual festival will run from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and promotes its theme, "Diversity is our strength."

Ostergaard said the festival is a family event and a good opportunity for children to see and learn new things.

"Carson City is not a large metropolitan area," she said. "This is a place where kids can see performances from different dancers and see that people from different places do things in different ways.

"It promotes tolerance, understanding and exposure."

In addition to the food and entertainment, booths will also display arts and crafts from different countries and cultures including African and American Indian.

T-shirts will also be on sale during the festival.

For information about the WNCC Multicultural Festival call Ostergaard at 445-4452.

IF YOU GO

What: Multicultural Festival

When: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Western Nevada Community College, 2201 W. College Parkway

Schedule of Events:

11:30-11:50: Leilani's Hula Halua Dancers

11:50-12:15: Filipino Dance Group

12:15-12:40: Traditional Chinese Folk Dance

12:40-1:00: Asha Belly Dancers -- World Tribal Belly Dance

1:00-1:20: Mason Valley Wind Spirit Dancers -- American Indian Dance

1:20-1:40: Capitol City Clog Academy -- American Folk Dance

1:40-2:00: Reno Taiko Drummers -- Japanese Drumming

2:00-2:20: WNCC Dance Group -- Ballroom Dance

2:20-2:40: Latin Energy -- Regional Mexican Folk Dance

2:40-3:00: Blanchette School of Irish Dance -- Traditional Irish Dance