On Sunday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., over two dozen vendors representing international cultures will participate in Cruise the World in the Bruce Pitman Center. This will be the 28th annual Cruise the World event, hosted by the University of Idaho’s International Programs Office.
Many of the vendors will have international foods and drinks available for purchase. On top of these cultural dishes and snacks, eventgoers can expect a variety of performances and fashion from the cultures represented on campus and in the greater Moscow community.
“Anyone who’s had some kind of affinity abroad can host a booth there, even students who have studied abroad as well as community members. We really just want to bring the whole community together to celebrate international education and cross-cultural engagement. There is a whole world out there and we get to celebrate that in Moscow,” said Mimi Kestle, the program coordinator for the IPO.
According to Kestle, about 2,700 people attended the event last year. This year, they hope to draw more. Because of the broad audience for the event, the office has been working hard in its promotion. They have designed and put up fliers, worked with local schools and universities as far as Lewiston, spoken with classes and put out PSAs on local radio stations.
“I think it’s a really family-friendly event. There’s a lot of folks that come up to me and beam and share, like, ‘Oh, I brought my kids to this, and it really taught them that there’s a whole world outside of Moscow, Idaho, but they get to taste and see that right outside of their doorstep.’ I hope it inspires people to travel, to engage cross-culturally,” said Kestle.
The event is largely carried out by UI students, who help run the booths, make the food and perform.
Saif Sikdar Riyadh, a junior, is currently on the student committee for planning the Cruise the World event. In the past, he worked on the Bangladesh committee and at the flag parade.
“I carried the flag of Bangladesh in the main flag parade of the day of the event,” said Riyadh. “In my first time, I was worried, like, ‘Can I do it or not?’ but it was really nice to me. Last year, I did the same— I carried my country’s flag. It was a very proud moment for me.”
Countries that will be represented with booths currently include Brazil, Bangladesh, Denmark, South Korea and more. Ultimately, the appeal of this year’s Cruise the World will be their very successful past iterations; many cultures will be showcased and available to sample in some small way.
“If you saw last year’s Cruise the World, we got so many people from different countries to participate here, and this year we are hoping to get more people and get some more amazing performances,” said Riyadh.
The IPO and involved students will work with Idaho Eats to get all the food prepared for Cruise the World. Food is purchasable with cash only. More information, including menus, will be available as the event draws closer.
Cal Torres can be reached at [email protected]