Columbus International Festival

Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. - Jawaharlal Nehru

I love going to festivals. Irish Festivals, Renaissance Festivals, Popcorn Festivals. Though not always true to their original cultural origins, I think they are often a great way to experience something different, but close to home. This past weekend in Columbus was the International Festival. According to the festival's website approximately 75 different cultures are represented.

Scandinavian Salmon Chowder

First, some things I didn't like. My main complaint is that the festival is not very large. The room the stands were held in is quite large and there were many left-over open spaces that could have been filled with additional booths. With an admission price of $7 for adults and $5 for students I expected more content. Similarly, the food choices consisted mainly of Chinese and Indian fare. It would have been interesting to see a wider variety of cultural cuisine. Finally, I feel like much of the food and products for sale were not completely genuine or authentic. Good booths presented a more educational look at the presented culture but some booths were merely trying to hawk fake cultural replicas and cheap jewelry. 

The Dessert Dancers preforming during the festival.

All that being said the International Festival isn't all bad. There is also a stage that has constant entertainment groups preforming. I really enjoyed watching these preformances while we ate. Furthermore, this is cultural diplomacy at its finest, helping diverse cultural groups learn to connect. Sure, not everything you see is authentic, but the displays still offer a glimpse into the said culture. For example, a booth selling Asian artifacts consisted of mostly imitation jade statues. Though not genuine, it still the cultural importance of jade in Asian communities. Ultimately, I think the purpose of the International Festival is to ignite curiosity of different places and cultures. 

A delicious apple turnover the Juergen's Bakery and Restaurant booth.

Overall, I think the Columbus International Festival is best suited for children or adults who have not traveled abroad before. My honest opinion is that if you have been outside of the United States before, you will be disappointed by the festival. Paying $7 just probably isn't worth it for you. Kids, however, can get a 'passport' and collect stamps at different country exhibits. I saw a broad range of kids at the festival, both younger children through teens who all seemed to be having an enjoyable time.