Montgomery College hosted the seventh annual “World of Montgomery Festival” on Oct. 18, an event that boasted the over 140 countries represented through the staff, faculty, and student population.
The festival was themed by the four major cultures: China, Ethiopia, El Salvador, and India. These countries were the primary demonstrators due to the large percentage of people in Montgomery County from those nations.
“My favorite part of the day was being able to tour the world in a nutshell,” said Wendy Risso, president of the Montgomery College Honors club (MCHC). She explained that in addition to the presentation of the four countries represented, many individuals came dressed in traditional wear of their home lands and contributed to the nuance of the event.
The henna art, folk artists, and the International Village attracted large crowds.
At the festival students had the opportunity to meet people from the four countries and learn aspects from their cultures such as food, language, and art. They also got to see traditional dances and music performed by different bands.
Montgomery College’s own World Ensemble band had a part in the festival as well, playing Latin America, Africa, and Native American music.
“It was my first experience at the festival and I found it wonderful,” says MC student Claudia Cassoma, “I love the way they educated people through fun and recreation.” Cassoma, like many other students, attended the festival as a volunteer through service learning.
“It was great. I got to take cool pictures with people from cool places. I made plenty of new friends that day too,” MC student Syed Sajjad said.
This was the first time Montgomery College hosted the event. If you missed this year’s festival, there will always be next year’s!
If you’d like to know more information, you can e-mail [email protected] or go to http://worldofmontgomery.com/.