Annual Cultural Festival

Monmouth College’s popular Cultural Festival turns 25 this year. The annual event, scheduled for 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sept. 21 in Glennie Gymnasium, will showcase countries that are represented by Monmouth’s current international students.

Free and open to the public, the festival will include food sampling from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and cultural entertainment, some of it provided by Monmouth student organizations.

“The Cultural Festival has become a wonderful tradition for the College and the Office of Intercultural Life,” said Director of Multicultural Student Service Regina Johnson. “More importantly, it’s an opportunity for students to celebrate where they come from. While not all students participate in tabling, they still share via their traditional dress from their countries or by their talent reflecting tradition in dance, song or poetry.”

Five of Monmouth’s first-year international students will participate in tabling: Nyasaina Angela Kwamboka of Kenya, Sreya Roy of India, Gabriela Madu of Jamaica, Ali Sabtain of Pakistan and Rediet Tesema of Ethiopia. Ghanaian students Naa Commey ’22 and Justin Opam ’21 will also have a table, as will Monmouth student organizations Umoja and Raices.

The College’s Colorful Voices of Praise will perform shortly before noon, followed by a traditional Indian dance by Roy. Abierre Minor ’21 of Chicago will present a spoken word piece at 1:10 p.m. Monmouth’s Highland Harmonizers will sing at about 1:20 p.m., followed immediately by a singing performance by Madu.

Two groups from Chicago and another from the Quad Cities will also take the stage. Chicago’s Mariachi Show Sol de Oro will perform at 11 a.m., and the Potts and Pans Steel Band will play at 12:20 p.m. The Teranga Dance and Drum Circle from the Quad Cities will perform at 1:40 p.m.

Barry McNamara - Communications & Marketing