More than 1,000 people gathered for a celebration of cultures from around the world during the 29th Annual International Bazaar Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Florida State University Student Union.
Hosted by the Center for Global Engagement (CGE), the annual International Bazaar is an opportunity for campus cultural groups to share their history and heritage with each other and attendees from FSU and the greater Tallahassee community. This was the first full-scale International Bazaar since 2020 due to the pandemic and Student Union construction.
The afternoon was filled with performances from various groups like Seoula System, a Tallahassee-based K-pop dance group, the FSU Belly Dancers and Indak, the FSU Filipino Student Association’s (FSA) traditional dance troupe. The entertainment also included a Festivals of India showcase by the Indian Student Association of Tallahassee and a fashion show by the Middle East Center at FSU.
Between performances, 28 student groups showcased their cultures and organizations through table displays and interactive presentations. The family-friendly event also featured a kids’ corner where children completed games and crafts with an international focus.
Junior Odezza Campos tabled at the 29th Annual International Bazaar for the FSA. As FSA’s historian, she highlighted the importance of events like this in promoting cultural exchange.
“It’s valuable to have spaces like this where you can experience other cultures,” Campos said. “That’s why the FSA is always willing to come out because we love spreading Filipino culture to the Tallahassee community.”
Sophomore Ian Javelosa serves as FSA’s cultural chair and was at the event with Campos. He performed with Indak.
“Indak is the cultural dance team under FSA, so normally we do traditional dances like tinikling, sayaw sa bangko, and pandanggo sa ilaw,” Javelosa said. “We perform for banquets and Asian Student Union events, so it was really fun to get to perform at the International Bazaar.”
Marie Bea, a graduate student in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, represented the African Graduate Students Association (AGSA) at the event. As president of the AGSA, she expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to participate.
“It’s been an honor for the AGSA to participate in the 29th edition of the International Bazaar at Florida State University,” Bea said. “We were able to mingle with other registered student organizations and discover cultures, and we hope to come back next year.”
Jordan Wilson, a senior majoring in criminology, represents the Multicultural Greek Council, which serves as the governing body for eight culturally based fraternities and sororities on campus. She emphasized the significance of the event giving those in attendance a chance to learn more about other cultures.
“I’m happy this event is open to the public because I feel like representation matters,” Wilson said. “Just to see all these faces here from different backgrounds, it’s so heartwarming that this is a campus-hosted event. It just shows that the campus cares.”
Daniel Nieto, a senior majoring in international affairs, serves as vice president of the Venezuelan Student Association. He highlighted the association’s goals in participating in the event.
“We wanted to come out to this event just to put the word out that there’s a Venezuelan association on campus and to attract as many members as possible and also to meet and network with other cultural organizations that exist on campus,” Nieto said.
Chandler Gadea-Guidicelli, the CGE’s intercultural programs manager, planned and coordinated the bazaar. Gadea-Guidicelli coordinates several events and programs throughout the year, such as the Global Ambassador and the Global Noles programs, International Coffee Hour and Global Café.
“The International Bazaar had a great energy throughout the entirety of the event,” Gadea-Guidicelli said. “From the coordination point of view, we provided a framework, but it was all the incredible table displays and performances from the university RSOs and community that really shined that afternoon. I’m excited to see what future International Bazaars will hold.”
The international sampling of food featured falafel with tahini sauce, steamed dumplings with soy dipping sauce, samosas and cilantro chutney, tamales de elote with crema salsa, mini quiche and a hibiscus ginger drink. Jesse O’Reilly, CGE’s in-house professional chef, and his team worked for two days to prepare the food.
To learn more about the CGE at FSU and the International Bazaar, visit cge.fsu.edu.
