Park University to Host Annual International Festival on Nov. 22

October 29, 2024 — In celebration of International Education Week, Park University’s Office of International Education will host its annual International Festival on Friday, Nov. 22. The event will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on the University’s flagship Parkville Campus. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public.

The event begins with information booths and cultural activities from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground before moving to Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel at 7:30 p.m. for a fashion show and cultural performances. Also, Three Trails Taiko, a Kansas City area organization that uses several different types of drums and other instruments to create beautiful and powerful musical compositions that can convey specific moods and tell stories of Japan’s rich history and culture, will perform, as will students from the University’s International Center for Music.

In addition, an international buffet will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. featuring foods from each continent. The price for the buffet is $16 for the public; Park students and employees on a meal plan can eat free with their Park ID.

The International Festival features countries from around the globe, with Park international students representing their native countries and sharing the unique and diverse characteristics of their homeland. Countries scheduled to be represented (as of Oct. 28) include the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. In all, the University boasts more than 500 students from 70 countries.

For more information about the event, contact Catherine Geehan, associate director for international education, at catherine.geehan@park.edu / (816) 584-6857.