Photo by: Lauryn Sprung

Denver community members and DU students from all over the globe came together this weekend in a celebration of culture and nationality that has come to be a cherished DU tradition for many.

An estimated 2,000 people flooded Driscoll Saturday afternoon to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of over 25 cultures at the 25th annual Festival of Nations, organized and sponsored by the International Student Organization (ISO).

“It’s one day where everyone gets together without political conflict and just have a great time,” said organizer and president of the ISO Lidia Zurek.

Groups represented at the event included Amnesty International, the Indian Student Network of the University of Colorado Denver, the Pi Lambda Chi Sorority and Menorah Ministries, among others.

Tables were set up along the bridge and in Driscoll ballroom selling everything from food to cultural art work.

The event kicked off with a parade of flags, and cultural performances ranging from belly dancing to Tae Kwon Do displays entertained crowds throughout the day.

“We were really happy with the turn out,” Zurek said.

Although this year’s festival was deemed a success by its organizers this year, may face financial road blocks in the future. The ISO was granted $3,000 by AUSA to cover the costs of the festival, which, according to Zurek, reached nearly $5,000.

The organization was able to make this year’s festival happen only through a $1,000 emergency donation from the Korbel School of International Studies and by using the funds the event itself brought in to make up the difference, according to ISO Treasurer Alex Bogatiryob.

However, next year it may not be possible to come up with the funding, said Zurek.

“We’re kind of worried because the Festival of Nations costs a little under $5,000 to construct and so we have to now do diversity committee and just [apply for funding from] all these different organizations to see if we can get more money for next year,” Zurek said.

For many students, however, the event is an important part of tradition and inclusive excellence at DU.

“The Festival of Nations is an important event because DU claims to be really diverse and this really shows who’s on campus,” said Mina Safi a senior and member of the Muslim Student Association.

“We’re all for different nations coming together to find a way to collaborate,” said Caitlyn Tivy, a sophomore member of Amnesty International.

“Everyone was really friendly about it so it was really inspirational,” she said of the festivities on Saturday.