Wayne College Multicultural Festival March 4-6

Celebrating and understanding Diversity is the theme during this year’s Multicultural Festival at The University of Akron Wayne College. Taking place March 4-6 in the Student Life Building, attendees can participate in educational sessions, such as “Homelessness in America,” presented by OneEighty. Other sessions include “Take a Journey into your Past,” “Diversity in Action,” “United We Stand” and “What Kind of Human Bean are You.” There will also be sessions including world art, American Sign Language and a Lemonheads and Whoppers activity. Located at 1901 Smucker Road in Orrville, the festival and all entertainment is free and open to the public.

The three day event opens with an education day featuring presentations, music, international food tasting, activities and cultural competition displays from student organizations. Day one also includes jazz music by Bobby Selvaggio, music by Randy Velez and positive hip hop with Ameer Williamson. The following day the exhibits and hands-on activities continue, along with music from Janet Becker, flute and James Marron, classical guitar. Visitors will receive a passport to take along as they “travel” between exhibits and activities, acquiring stamps that can be redeemed for a free Multicultural Festival t-shirt. Visitors also have the opportunity to travel the world with Future Cast Virtual Reality Pods.  Visitors can visit the Sydney Opera House, Machu Picchu, Taj Mahal or walk the streets of Beijing, Dublin and Saint Petersburg, all from the comfort of the Wayne College campus.

The two exhibit days run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and also include children’s activities, such as Japanese fans, Chinese lanterns, a diversity tree and diversity rainbow.

The festival closes with an engaging performance Friday, March 6 at 7 pm in the Student Life Building when Native Pride Dancers take the stage. Based in St. Paul, MN, Native Pride Dancers is an innovative blend of modern and traditional Native American dance styles. Larry Yazzie, founder and director of the Native Pride Dancers will share their stories and teachings about the dance styles represented. The dancers’ rich cultural heritage is reflected in their movements and authentic regalia. Refreshments will be available for sale and doors open at 6:30 pm.

Wayne College is proud to present the Multicultural Festival, as part of The University of Akron’s Rethinking Race forum (uakron.edu/race/). For a full list of Multicultural Festival times and attractions, please visit wayne.uakron.edu/multiculturalfestival or call 330.684.8973.

Photo caption:  Larry Yazzie, founder and director of Native Pride Dancers, comes from the Meskwaki Nation in central Iowa. His mission is to educate, inspire, motivate and empower diverse communities to bridge cultural gaps through Indigenous traditions. Native Pride Dancers will perform Friday, March 6 at 7 pm as part of Wayne College’s Multicultural Festival.