The event is an annual one where each country represented provides foods & information about the country's heritage. Parents are encouraged to meet up with other families from their home countries to plan the menu, a game or activity, and/or have a performance. There are awards (bragging rights, really) awarded to the best decorated, best food, best activity, etc.
This year, over 23 countries were represented by the various booths.
As you can see, this is no small affair.
Of course, the kids & I helped Team USA. We decided on a 4th of July theme. Our decorations centered around fireworks & bunting.
For the activity, we had a photo booth.
But the real star of the day, was our BBQ chicken sliders with coleslaw & homemade apple desserts.
The smells from our booth were pure heaven... we had lots of repeat customers! It was almost like being back home. LOL!
I worked the first half hour shift, then started the tasty walk around the countries. This took careful planning & a lot of strategy.
I'm so full. Even if - by some miracle - you could limit yourself to only one bite from each country, there's no possible way to sample everything. Most countries offered 2 or 3 main dishes .... Some of which I've never seen before...
(Ummmm... Is the goat head laughing at me?) I think this was in Turkey...
Plus, several sweets...
(The pavlova from Australia was homemade & soooooo good! Reminded me of the one my Aussie friend, Liz, made for us a few years back!)
And drinks...
I found Sangria in Spain! (Sadly, it contained no wine as this was a school sponsored event.)
Ahhhh... Nothing like a cool sangria on a hot day! Really hits the spot!
The kids had a great time traveling to each other's home countries to sample the various cuisines. Madeline found several of her Italian friends passing out pizza & lasagna.
But I think the best part of the whole event is the spirit of community & the eagerness with which everyone wants to share a little bit about their homelands. Every booth we visited welcomed us warmly. They wanted to share in their foods, their dress, their special holidays, & culture. No judgement; just friendship.
Some things we tried & loved.... Sometimes, well....
We discovered that we don't like Pakastan's lemonade (too salty, go figure!), but we loved their jewelry & rickshaw transportation.
It was a great day.... & I'm blessed that our school offers these events to further the international spirit of community. I was really proud of the kids for trying so many of the various foods... Even the ones that seemed to look back at you!
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