UF to host European Festival on Sept. 16

September 9, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Gainesville is home to a number of European transplants who enrich our culture with their unique heritage and share their diverse experiences with our community. To foster greater interaction and exchange between these groups, the University of Florida Center for European Studies is hosting a European Festival of Cultures from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Reitz Student Union colonnade, featuring European art, music and food. The event is sponsored by the European Union and is free and open to the public.

“The University of Florida and the greater Gainesville area are fortunate to play host and/or home to people from a wide range of European countries,” said Amie Kreppel, director of the center. “We have significant numbers of European citizens and heritage communities that span the breadth and width of Europe, from Turkey to Finland and Ireland to Greece. Unfortunately, these individuals, communities and student groups do not often have the opportunity to interact with one another or share their cultural heritage with the broader community.”

Student organizations representing the following countries will be involved: Ireland, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Romania, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Displays will include crafts demonstrations, traditional music and costumes. The Center for European Studies will host a booth to distribute information about the European Union, as well as the university’s many European study abroad opportunities.

Organizations interest in participating should contact Nikki Kernaghan at (352) 392-8203 or nikkik@ufic.ufl.edu.