Pellissippi State hosts 10th annual Festival of Cultures

Pellissippi State Community College's popular Festival of Cultures celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, and the community is invited.

Pellissippi State Community College is celebrating its 10 year of the Festival of Cultures on Friday, April 7 from 4-8:30 p.m.

The Festival of Cultures honors East Tennessee's and Pellissippi State's diverse community and heritage. This year's 10th annual celebration will include not only the popular "Taste of International Food" but performers as varied as bagpipers and belly dancers, traditional rangoli kolam (Indian folk art) and even an international fashion show.

The event is free and open to the community and will be held in the Goins Administration Building on the college's Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.

Pellissippi State alumni Rashmi Gomatom, Neelima Mertya and Niloo Ranjan will return to the college to create rangoli kolam, a type of Indian folk art that has been a popular staple at the Festival over the past ten years.

Entertainers include: Bella Wang classical Chinese dancers, bagpiper Kelly Shipe, Debka and the Oasis Dancers, Carlos Gonzales, Ogya World Music Band and Dancers, Tollkretsen Skandinavian Dancers, Natana Manohari School of Performing Arts Indian classical dancers, John Hausmann on the sitar and Pellissippi State's own bluegrass band, the Hardin Valley Thunder.

Booths will allow attendees to try Asian calligraphy, hair braiding and Spanish conversation. Additional exhibits will showcase the cultures of Brazil, Congo, Eastern Europe, Haiti, Kenya, Spain, Romania, Vietnam and more.

New this year, the Festival of Cultures will culminate in an international fashion show coordinated by Pellissippi State's international students.

The Festival of Cultures is part of The Arts at Pellissippi State, an annual arts series that includes music and theatre performances, cultural celebrations, lectures and fine arts exhibits. The event is co-sponsored by Student Life and Access and Diversity at Pellissippi State, as well as Bellevue University.

For more information about The Arts at Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu/arts or call 865-694-6400. To request accommodations for a disability at this event, contact the executive director of Equity and Compliance at 865-539-7401 or accommodations@pstcc.edu.

Published March 22, 2017