Luther College hosts annual Ethnic Arts Festival on March 2

In celebration of the diverse cultures that come together to make up the Luther College community, the annual Ethnic Arts Festival held by the Center for Intercultural Engagement and Student Success will take place Saturday, March 2. People who have attended the festival in previous years will notice a new structure to this year’s event, including new activities highlighting cultures found in the local community.

The Ethnic Arts Festival, held in the Luther Regents Center, North Gym, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to the public with no charge for admission. The festival will include a Land Acknowledgment formal statement honoring the original inhabitants of the region and recognizing that Luther College sits on the traditional homeland of the Ioway and other Native tribes.

A 10-minute film about the Ioway tribe will be screened throughout the festival.

Bill Quackenbush, tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, will speak at the festival at 2 p.m. with a Q&A session to follow.

A country and culture fair will run concurrently with Luther student performances, demonstrations by community artisans and food stalls with offerings including egg rolls, samosas, tacos and tamales, as well as various desserts and beverages. Food tickets will be available for purchase at $2 per item. There will be hair braiding, henna and face painting available for a small fee.

For interested community members there will be a closing event starting at 9 p.m. at The Cellar in downtown Decorah.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.