Celebrating 30 Years of International Food and Cultures at SMSU and in the Marshall area
Program Overview:
A Celebration of International Cultures and Local Diversity through Education, Food, Arts, and Cultural Performances
WorldFest is the reboot of SMSU's annual International Food Festival. The pandemic required that we pause the event in 2020 and 2021. This year the event is back on, marking a milestone of celebrating international cultures and food for 30 years at SMSU. Changes to food safety and health concerns spurred us to consider the future of the program. A committee of campus and community leaders re-envisioned the event as an expanded and inclusive celebration of world and local cultures and diversity. For 2022, SMSU and the wider Marshall area community are partnering to present SMSU WorldFest 2022.
The schedule of performers:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
This special event requires alot of help to make sure everything runs smoothly. Want to help us at WorldFest? Click on this VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION FORM to sign-up by Friday, April 15th.
When & Where
When:
Saturday, April 30, 2022
12noon-8pm
Where:
Red Baron Arena
1651 Victory Dr
Marshall, MN 56258
Purpose:
WorldFest is an educational and cultural event helping to build appreciation, respect, and a greater understanding of cultural differences.
Equally as important, we want to create a more inclusive and welcoming community for all at SMSU and in the wider Marshall area.
WorldFest will include three key areas:
The World Café
Open from 12-8pm. Featuring international food, local favorites, food trucks and local ethnic restaurants.
Vendors
- Interested in showcasing your food?
- Contact Ms. Adri DeBoer at Visit Marshall at email adri.deboer@visitmarshallmn.com.
The World Cultures Expo
Open from 12-6pm. Featuring SMSU students and community members sharing information about their countries and cultures.
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Featured Exhibits
Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ethiopia, Hmong, Hmong ABC craft and bookstore, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Karen, LatinX, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Lyon County Museum/Historical Society
John Sterner, local artist, SMSU alumnus, and Sicangu Lakota, and more! - Interested in hosting a cultural exhibit or selling cultural products/services as a Vendor?
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- Click on this World Cultures Registration Form, Deadline to Register is March 11th.
- For More Information, Contact Ms. See Moua-Leske Program Manger, SW Adult Basic Education at email see.moua-leske@marshall.k12.mn.us .
The World Stage
Open from 12-8pm. Featuring local talent from SMSU and the local community and professional artists and troupes representing our international and diverse local cultures.
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Featured Performers
Native Pride indigenous dancers, Pete and Ross jazz musicians, Duniya African Drum & Dance, Norsk Four Norwegian musicians & folk dancers, Rince na Chroi Irish dancers, Karen dancers, Hmong Master Flutist and Story Telling, Salsa Magic, and more!
- Interested in performing? Register by April 1st.
- Click on this Talent Survey
- Call for Emcee Applicants
Event Sponsors:
World Stage Performances
Come experience traditional rhythms and dances from Guinea West Africa with Duniya Drum & Dance under the direction of Master Drummer Fode Bangoura. Duniya brings a high energy interactive performance that is fun for the whole family.
Featuring KARE Channel 11 News Anchor Gia Vang and her father, Tsong Tong Vang.
Witness this father and daughter duo as they share some unique and beautiful Asian wind instruments along with stories about the Hmong culture.
Experience a performance by the Native Pride Dancers featuring the Father/Son Duo, Sean and Jason Soukkala. The Native Pride Dancers, based out of St. Paul, MN and founded by Larry Yazzie, is an internationally renowned, high-energy group featuring an innovative blend of modern and traditional Native American dance styles. Their cultural heritage is reflected in their movements, songs, stories, and their authentic regalia.
Carol Sersland
Carol grew up in Minneapolis, immersed in the Norwegian folk music and dance community that her immigrant father was at the heart of. They danced his rural Norwegian Telespringar at the first Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1976. Carol is the Artistic Director of the Norwegian Folk Dance Club and started Fjell og Fjord children's group when her own daughter was young. Carol performs in communities throughout the United States and on stages such as the Guthrie Theater. Carol wears the traditional bundad (folk costume) from her father’s home town in Telemark.
Ron Mathisen
Ron is a folk dancer whose skills and company are always sought in dance circles throughout the US and Norway. Ron and Carol have danced together in the community for decades. His bunad is also in the Telemark style and he himself did the intricate needlework.
Kari Tauring
A musician, scholar, and story teller of ancient Norse poetry, Kari joined Det Norske Folkedanslaget (The Norwegian Folk Dance Club) in 2008 in order to learn traditional Norwegian folk dance from Carol Sersland. Kari and Carol study the intersection of Nordic runes from 160 CE and dances such as Halling (with roots in the Bronze Age) and Telespringar (a 400 year old rural dance) and other Nordic movement such as skiing. The two perform together throughout Minnesota. Kari will play the Nevelur, a birch wrapped horn dating to 800 CE. She wears a folk costume based on the style of Gudbrandsdal, Norway. https://KariTauring.com
Rachel Ulvin Jensen
Rachel is a well known player of Hardingfele (Hardanger Fiddle) within folk music and dance communities as well as on stages such as the Guthrie Theater. Hardingfele is the Norwegian National Instrument dating to at least 1651. It has drone strings that vibrate in a nature magical way. The sound is trance inducing and drives the dances. Rachel is part of Twin Cities Hardingfelelag (Twin Cities Hardanger Fiddle Club), seeking to preserve this instrument and its tunes through performance and teaching. She wears a traditional bunad from North Trøndelag. https://tchardingfelelag.org/
Rince na Chroi (pronounced Rink-a na Cree), Gaelic for “dance of the heart,” was founded by Katie Stephens Spangler in February 2003. The dancers perform all over the Twin Cities and the Midwest at events such as the Minnesota State Fare, Irish Fair of Minnesota, the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival, Grand Old Day, Milwaukee Irish Fest, and many more.
Other Performances by:
- Ratsamee Lee
- Danish Atiq
- Karen Dance Troupe
- Salmini Jayasuriya
