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The annual Festival of Nations drew large multi-national crowds to campus to enjoy the sounds, food, music and colorful national dress of the world.

The Saturday afternoon event is sponsored each spring by the International Student Organization and fills Driscoll Center with the aromas and languages from around the world.

Some 15 different countries showed off their cuisine and music, enabling students to get a glimpse of far away worlds now very much connected by the age of technology.

Tables covered in colorful regalia were laden with samples of food and national artifacts and provided information about their countries including information about NGO’s and volunteer work. Starting in Driscoll South side of the Driscoll Bridge and extending across the glass-walled walkway to the Driscoll Ballroom in North Driscoll, the festival evoked the sounds and colors of a huge bazaar.

Succulent dates and honey rich baklava drew visitors to the Middle East display, while samosa pakora at the Pakistani table tempted visitors to sample the tasty appetizers and snacks.  Drunken noodles from Thailand, as well as a host of other food from Taiwan, showed off the variety of Asian and Chinese food as well as delicacies from Japan and Korea.

Handmade jewelry from Uganda and Tanzania was for sale and promoted local crafts in Africa.

Meanwhile, groups of students from different nationalities performed in Driscoll Ballroom, showing off belly dancing, a traditional Chinese lion dance, native mamba and Indian Bollywood-style dancing.

“It’s just fun,” said Nicholas Thomas, a graduate student.

Alongside the cultural displays were several businesses and non-profit organizations. Aziz, a dancer in the Pakistani performance and the president of Development in Literacy, participated to promote his organization, which provides education to children in under-developed areas of Pakistan.