BSU Festival of Nations Brings Global Culture, Food to Bemidji Saturday

Bemidji State's International Student Organization will transform the Beaux Arts Ballroom into a hub of global food and performance Saturday, April 11, when it hosts the annual Festival of Nations from 4 to 8 p.m. at 1500 Birchmont Drive NE.

Students will staff cultural booths representing their home countries, serve food they've prepared themselves, and lead an evening of traditional and contemporary music and dance. Student-led presentations on homeland customs and traditions round out the four-hour program.

The ISO organizes the event with support from campus partners, making the Festival of Nations the organization's most prominent annual showcase and one of the few spring occasions where BSU's international student community takes center stage at a gathering open to Bemidji families and residents.

For questions about programming or admission, contact BSU's Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at centerdei@bemidjistate.edu. Ballroom space is limited; arriving near the 4 p.m. start gives attendees the best chance of sampling food offerings and securing seating for performances before the evening fills up.