This year’s Las Cruces International Festival promises to be the largest one yet, with a new location and a new partnership between the City of Las Cruces and New Mexico State University’s Office of International and Border Programs to host the annual event.
This year’s Las Cruces International Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14 at Plaza de Las Cruces, 100 Main St. The sixth annual festival is free and open to the public.
The festival offers the NMSU campus and local community an opportunity to experience different cultures from across the globe. Currently, NMSU has more than 1,300 international students from 80 countries on campus, and many of those students are making important contributions to research and the NMSU and Las Cruces communities.
Mayor Ken Miyagishima will welcome attendees, as part of the City’s partnership in hosting the festival. The event will feature cultural displays with native art, textiles, artifacts, photographs, music, dancing and games. Participating international students will be dressed in their native fashions.
“It’s really wonderful to have students from throughout the world enhancing their education at New Mexico State University and adding to the excitement that makes Las Cruces such a strong, dynamic and great community,” Miyagishima said. “We welcome them to our city, and we are very happy they have chosen the Plaza de Las Cruces to have their festival.”
Rod McSherry, interim associate provost of NMSU’s International and Border Programs, said he expects this year’s festival to be bigger than in years past because of its new location.
“The festival serves to enhance the international complexion of our campus, and it’s a way to help the university community become engaged with the Las Cruces community,” McSherry said. “We don’t consider ourselves to be an international community. We consider ourselves to be New Mexicans.”
Representatives from several countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Bangladesh, India and Nepal are expected to attend this year’s festival, as well as many community organizations.
For information, visit https://ibp.nmsu.edu/international-festival/.