Beloved International Street Fair returns to uptown Athens

Every year in early April, uptown Athens traditionally comes alive with a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds and smells through the International Street Fair.

An Athens staple beloved by the community, the street fair has been canceled the last few years due to the limit of in-person events. However, the gathering is back on Saturday, April 9, with renewed enthusiasm and an even greater gratitude for what it means to come together to share food, perspectives and meaningful connections across geography and differences.

“We are thrilled that this family-friendly community event is back this year to celebrate in our usual way, but also to give thanks for the values and human kindness that unite us in today’s current world,” Ji-Yeung Jang, interim executive director for Global Affairs, said. “This event brings our international community together in a beautiful way, allowing our students, faculty, staff, and community partners to share the best of themselves and their respective cultural treasures.”

The event relies on community vendor and volunteer support, and this year’s call for volunteers is especially vital. Organizers have created an easy-to-use vendor form and volunteer form that people can fill out to express interest and learn more about volunteering or hosting vending space.

The street fair is part of International Week (iWeek) that is hosted each year by the International Student Union. The week centers around a global theme, with this year’s theme being “Fostering Connections: Together We Can, Together We Will.”

“This year’s theme holds great meaning for us because of the way our global community has come together to rise to challenges over the last few years,” Keamogetse Khudu, a second-year Ph.D. student from Botswana and vice president of OHIO’s International Student Union, said. “Ohio University has a strong and thriving international community that spans the world and we’re proud of that and excited to share that with the Athens community once again. There will be good food, music, dancing, art, and everyone is invited to celebrate.”

To learn more about iWeek 2022 and international programming, visit https://www.ohio.edu/global.