BRADFORD, Pa (PTTP) – On Saturday, March 2, Pitt Bradford hosted its annual cultural festival, celebrating the diverse range of cultures found within the campus community. The event began with a parade of nations and continued through various hands-on activities, performances, and food from around the world.
All around campus, there are flags from various nations. However, many students do not know where those flags come from or their significance. Therefore, for the first time, the team behind the event decided to begin with a parade of nations that gave context to these flags. It allows the students to showcase their national pride and tell the guests what their flags represent.
The next two hours continued with performances from various local dance groups such as The Queen Bees, Allegany Mountain Cloggers, and Diamond Steppers. After witnessing these amazing performances, attendees readied themselves for the headlining performers in, Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams. This group features three brothers who take classical Indian instruments and utilize them in a more modern way.
In addition to the performances, throughout the evening, attendees could visit many different tables to try out a variety of interactive activities. Some of these activities included basket weaving, authentic jewelry making, and henna tattoos, among others. They even had a ‘musical instrument petting zoo’ where guests could try out the various instruments.
Furthermore, the event featured food from around the world. There were five different stations: international desserts and drinks, Middle Eastern cuisine, African Cuisine, Korean Cuisine, and Argentinian Cuisine. What made this special was that many of these recipes were provided and cooked by the students. This is not only special because it allows students to cook cuisine authentic to them, but it allows them to share this with the entire community.
“It pushes that diversity, equity, and inclusion that Pitt, as a whole, loves for students to engage in,” said event committee member and Pitt Bradford senior, Lancie Kear. Through this event, Pitt Bradford sought to celebrate the diversity within the campus and the greater Bradford community.
Credit: Pitt Bradford