This year’s Las Cruces International Festival, hosted by New Mexico State University’s Office of International and Border Programs, promises to be an even bigger hit than last year with activities and food representing cultures from across the globe.
The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 2 at Pioneer Women’s Park, 500 W. Las Cruces Ave. It is free and open to the public.
Last year’s event attracted about 1,200 attendees, said Cornell H. Menking, associate provost for international and border programs at NMSU. The university currently has more than 1,300 international students from 80 countries.
“This event continues to snowball. Our hope is that this event becomes truly co-sponsored by the community and the university,” said Menking, who also described the festival as his office’s biggest “town and gown event.”
“This year we have a very enthusiastic committee comprised of all sorts of community members,” Menking said. “We are committed to having more food and more participation from a variety of international people in the community.”
The festival will include international foods; cultural displays with native art, textiles, artifacts and photographs; music; dancing and games. Participating international students will be dressed in their native fashions. A horse and carriage will shuttle people from the Downtown Mall to the park, and a parade will take place during the Farmer’s Market.
For more information, visit https://ibp.nmsu.edu/las-cruces-international-festival-2016/ or call the International Student and Scholar Services Office at 575-646-2017.
Information from NMSU