Around the world in four hours

International+Folk+Fair+is+an+annual+event+that+has+been+going+on+for+over+35+years%2C+Maria+Carvalho+said.+%C2%A9+Center+for+International+Education

International Folk Fair is an annual event that has been going on for over 35 years, Maria Carvalho said. © Center for International Education

Forget traveling the world in 80 days. Thousands of visitors at the International Folk Fair did it in one.

Davies Center was transformed into a cultural hub with more than 30 countries and organizations represented at the annual event organized by the Center for International Education.

International student adviser Maria Carvalho said she looks at the Folk Fair as a two-way cultural exchange and interaction opportunity between the locals and international students.

“The goal of Folk Fair is for everyone to share with each other different components of their culture or their organization, and that includes the attendees also sharing with the participating groups as well as vice versa,” Carvalho said.

There was a long list of activities available to visitors of all ages at the Folk Fair. Attendees learned about the history and language of different countries, had their names written in Arabic, Cyrillic, Hebrew and Korean, learned dances from Kenya and China, played traditional games from Malaysia, made Japanese crafts, listened to different music from all over the world and flavored their taste buds with a variety of ethnic food from across the globe.

Most international students also donned traditional clothing as part of the exhibition. Other countries and organizations represented included: Myanmar, China, Mongolia, Israel, Serbia, Russia, Bahrain, Egypt, Germany, Philippines, Student Organization of Latinos, Black Student Alliance, Native American Student Association and many more.

Each visitor received a ‘passport’ upon entering Davies Center and for every room or booth they visited, they obtained a stamp.

The passport served as a guide for visitors as they listed all of the countries and organizations present on that day along with their locations in Davies Center.

Some professors also offered extra credit for students attending the event, such as Intercultural Communication and Human Geography.

Unlike expensive travel costs, the admission to International Folk Fair was free. Carvalho said she didn’t think it was necessary or ethical to charge attendees, as it would go against the philosophy of the event being an engaging and inclusive community event.

“Even though there was a lot of effort that goes into planning this out, it’s something that we take pride in, and we want to continue doing it for as low of a cost as possible,” Carvalho said.

Having attended the Folk Fair in the past, Arundhathi Ahluwalia was no stranger to the event.

But what made this year extra special is they recently became host parents to an international student at Eau Claire through the CIE’s Host Family Program. Sharat Ahluwalia and Arundhathi Ahluwalia said the Folk Fair is definitely a one-of-a-kind event in the area.

“I think a lot of folks here don’t get to travel so it’s a nice opportunity for them to learn about different cultures,” Arundhathi Ahluwalia said. “Not only the local students and community could learn about diverse cultures around the world without going too far, international students benefit from each other too.”

Heather Pearson, the associate director of admissions said there are currently 252 international students enrolled at UW-Eau Claire. That includes students seeking a degree, exchange students, sponsored students, and students in the Intensive English Program.

One of those students is Malaysian student Zhi Wen Leong. She said she enjoyed the day for the most part and also said she enjoyed interacting and sharing her culture with visitors as well as learning about others, but there was one thing she did not like as much.

“Getting to eat food from back home, play traditional games and listen to patriotic songs I grew up with at school,” Leong said. “Make my homesickness increases by a tenfold.”