2nd International Festival Davis - Saturday Oct. 6, 2012, noon to 6 pm International House Davis will celebrate "UNITY IN DIVERSITY" with people from the greater Davis and Sacramento communities at the Veterans' Memorial Center in Davis. This inclusive celebration takes the form of music, dance, food, craft sales, country tables and educational presentations. The event is free and last year more than 3,000 people attended the festival. The celebration is uplifting and inclusive, showcasing different nationalities and ethnic origins and offering family-oriented and children's events.

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Article in March newsletter of International House (click here to become a member and receive the newsletter):

Last year’s IF was great – this year’s festival 2012 will be even greater!

“Last year’s International Festival marked an experiment,” said I-House President Calvin Handy.”We wanted to offer the community something inclusive, fun, educational and international but we really didn’t know what to expect. Would we attract three people or 300 people or 3,000?” Fortunately, the 2011 International Festival was a massive success on any scale – attracting up to 3,000 people in the course of a long afternoon at the Veterans’ Memorial Center where there was a celebration of “unity in diversity.”

“We had an international fashion show, we had singing, dancing and performing from around the world, we had international food choices and vendors selling goods made in every corner of the globe,” said Elisabeth Sherwin, I-House executive director. “We had more than 20 country tables, we had tables representing nonprofits from the Peace Corps to the Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network, and a children’s international village. We had teen-age poets. We had it all,” she added.

“But the most thrilling thing we had was a huge crowd caught up in the spirit of the event,” added Handy. “And that is exactly why we are doing it again on Oct. 6, 2012, back at the Veterans’ Memorial Center.  Please join us.”

Handy reminds members and supporters that the International Festival is not only a celebration but a very important fundraiser for International House, which has lost its city funding and faces potential cuts from other sources.

“We appreciate the city giving us the Veterans’ Memorial Center at no charge,” he added. “Both the city and UC Davis are major supporters – particularly the UCD Office of Campus Community Relations under Rahim Reed.

“But the smaller donations by local businesses and I-House members are vital to our future,” added Sherwin. “Please remember that we are a nonprofit 501c3 and not part of the university. Your donations are tax deductible. “

The next meeting of the International Festival Steering Committee will be Thursday, March 22 at 3:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the Community Room at I-House and is open to anyone who would like to help out on this second ambitious festival.

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Below are some highlights of our very succesful 2011 festival. We hope you can join us again this year!

	International Children Chorus - Galena Street East performers