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UA Festival of Joy provides cultural sample

Attracting a multitude of onlookers, the third annual Festival of Joy provided a medley of entertainment from members of the UA and Tucson communities Saturday afternoon.

"It's a cultural celebration - we've tried to set up each ethnicity to show how they celebrate holidays, not just Christmas," said Carlene Franklin, administrative assistant of the African American Student Affairs office.

"It's about unity and gives a feeling that we are more alike than different," she said.

The festival's five-hour educational and multi-cultural holiday celebration provided a glimpse into the cultural celebrations of about 15 ethnic groups.

"It gives people a hands-on experience because instead of reading it out of the textbook, you meet people," said Staci Hayes, communication junior.

Participants were invited to partake in the celebration by sampling different types of food from various groups and engaging in the cultural dances.

"The holiday thing is too centered on one culture so we got the Chamber of Commerce interested, now they're co-sponsors," said Tappan King, associate marketing specialist for UA Presents. "Now it's a sample of a lot of cultures - we all have something to celebrate."

King also said the festival, which was on the University of Arizona Mall west of Old Main, was a great way to teach people about different cultures because it supports community participation by involving a wide range of community members from Tucson's youth to UA President Peter Likins.

"It's a wonderful thing to celebrate - it helps to understand how much we have in common," Likins said. "Our music is universal, whether it's Riverdance or a deer dance. The university is very important (because) different cultures come here to come together even if they aren't together in the community."

He later told a crowd of about 150 onlookers that "we all understand that we have a shared culture in this environment," emphasizing the sense of a collective community during the festivities.

The display of cultural artifacts, paintings and food, plus shows from various Tucson performers, drew hundreds of community members - including those exiting Centennial Hall following the Riverdance show - creating what several participants considered to be a festival more successful than the last.

"We've been growing every year because we have more people who are interested in it," said Ron Stuht, director of government affairs for Tucson Metropolitan Chambers.

"It started out with five Chambers of Commerce, now we have student participation and games for the children to celebrate the ways in which all the different cultures celebrate the holidays," he said.

This year, five branches of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce joined UA's multi-cultural department, UA Presents, and Tucson Children's Museum to produce an elaborate assortment of educational enlightenment.

"It works both ways - the UA is responsible to the Tucson community and the Tucson community is responsible to the UA community," said Jennifer Gardetto, biochemistry sophomore.

"Some students may question what the Tucson community does for us and this is a great way to show it," she said.

Creating a miniature performance of "The Hallelujah Project," dancers from the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange closed the festivities with an interactive dance connecting the stories of festival participants to the evening's cultural events.

"We plan to get people aware of what's going on (by) inciting action and movement," said Peter DiMuro, a member of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat also became involved by helping dance group encourage active participation.

"When I look into this area I see people enjoying themselves," said Luis Gaitan, communications freshman. "There's something positive about spending the weekend with your family and seeing what the UA is doing and what the chambers are giving back to the community."