International restaurants from throughout the Tri-State Area will be participating in Marshall University’s 49th annual International Festival, scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the SMG-managed Big Sandy Superstore Arena.
Restaurants can still apply for a spot in the festival. Participants will receive a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales and promotion of their restaurant. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 14, and space is limited. The application form can be downloaded from the Marshall University Center for International Programs website at http://www.marshall.edu/cip/festival/.
In past years, the festival has taken place in the Memorial Student Center on Marshall’s Huntington campus. However, as the event’s popularity has grown, so, too, has the need for a larger venue. As the largest entertainment venue in the Tri-State, Big Sandy Superstore Arena hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, regional and state athletic competitions.
“Typically, over 1,000 people will attend,” said Dr. Clark Egnor, executive director of Marshall’s Center for International Programs. “But we anticipate many more people will attend this year with the participation of the restaurants and the larger venue.”
Admission to the festival is free and the event is open to the public.
In addition to the international foods prepared by restaurants, the International Festival will also feature music and dance from around the world along with displays representing more than 60 countries and cultures provided by Marshall University international students and the Tri-State international community, in partnership with Cabell County Schools and Mountwest Community and Technical College.
“The international festival events are the perfect opportunity for students, faculty, staff and members of the community to enjoy the international diversity and global opportunities found on the Marshall campus and in the surrounding community,” Egnor said. Currently, Marshall enrolls more than 400 international students from 60 countries. Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp has set a goal for Marshall to double the number of international students in the next three years.
Each restaurant will offer tastings of its signature menu items. Egnor said that by purchasing food tickets, guests can sample a variety of foods from all over the world at a very affordable price. “Festivalgoers,” he said, “will have an opportunity to easily explore new restaurants and sample different international dishes they would not ordinarily try. You won’t walk away hungry.”
For further details about Marshall University’s annual International Festival, contact the Center for International Programs at 304-696-6265, e-mail cip@marshall.edu, or visit the International Festival website at http://www.marshall.edu/cip/festival/.
