The Office of Multicultural Services is dedicated to ensuring students feel empowered in their God-given identities, compelled to be critical thinkers and ethical leaders in response to societal issues, and encouraged to interact and collaborate with an intercultural community from a place of respect and understanding.
The Hola Festival is a day-long celebration of diversity and a cultural salute to the East Tennessee community. The festival, organized by HoLa Hora Latina, is part of the local celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It is an invitation to the general public to learn and enjoy the best of our music, food, arts, crafts and more. The Hola Festival features Latino Countries Exhibits and the acclaimed Parade of Nations. The festival is a family event with free admission.
W. Depot Ave & N. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
Greekfest is an annual festival sponsored by Saint George Greek Orthodox Church. In the Greek tradition, members of the 250-family church make and serve exquisite ‘old country’ dishes. Greekfest offers fabulous food, delectable desserts, live Greek music and folk dancing, and shopping/imported gifts from Greece. The festival is held annually in October for two and a half days.
4070 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.
Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge hosts the popular International Festival annually. Experience culture, food, and entertainment from around the world. Two dozen countries are represented at the International Bazaar. Musicians and dancers thrill the crowd with traditional singing, dancing, instruments, and colorful costumes. Craft demonstrators add even more flavor to the event.
461 W. Outer Dr, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 • (865) 482-1074
The festival begins with a parade followed by meditation chanting, dancing, instrumental performances, and more dancing. Culture songs, a kimono show, and another parade follow. Food vendors serve sushi, Malaysian food, Japanese, vegan, Philippines, Taiwanese, Indian, Laos, Vietnam, Japanese, Chinese, Thailand. Performing and martial arts. Each participating Asian country showcases the best of its rich traditions, crafts, arts, and textiles. Children’s Activities help to introduce children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to Asian cultures and history. The festival is held annually in August.
Market Square, Knoxville TN • (831) 241-1189
People from the U.S. and Africa come together to demonstrate the shared heritage of the African, African American and African Appalachian communities in diaspora and to show how this heritage is an integral part of the culture of this region. The Kuumba Festival (“kuumba” means creativity in Swahili) showcases visual arts, folk arts, dance, theater, music, storytelling, gamesand foods.
Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902 • (865) 217-6786
Knoxville Opera’s Rossini Festival brings a taste of Europe to East TN and celebrates the color, fun and excitement of opera and Italian culture. The festival combines two opera productions, art exhibitions, wine tastings, and a wide variety of other community events with a vibrant Italian Street Fair in which Knoxville’s Gay Street is transformed from a busy downtown thoroughfare to a festive European festival with six stages featuring a range of entertainment options, an upscale Artisan’s Market, the smells and tastes of authentic Mediterranean foods and beverages, and a special children’s area with entertainment, fun and games.
S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902 • (865) 524-0795
The International Food Festival is a fundraising event for a school, where the money goes towards paying tuition for students on financial aid. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 19th, 2023, from 11AM to 5PM, with an admission fee of $1. There will be cuisine from over 25 different countries, as well as cultural performances, crafts, games, and multiple vendors. For additional information please contact us on gofoodfest.org.
World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn 720 11th Street Knoxville, TN 37916
Mountain Makins‘
This folklife festival celebrates the traditions of Appalachia, honoring the rich traditions of the past, and supports modern interpretations of those traditions. Over 50 juried crafters will showcase their work during the festival. You will have an opportunity to view and purchase fine art, folk art, pottery, baskets, photography, woodworking, bath products, jewelry, decorative painting, candles, and other hand-crafted items.
Visitors to this family-friendly event enjoy a variety of activities including two stages of mountain music, storytelling, prize-winning dancers, regional authors, children’s activities, and an abundance of good food.
The festival features a variety of mountain music including old time, bluegrass, Celtic, traditional gospel, dulcimer, and bagpipe. Prize-winning clogging teams, line dancers, and nationally recognized Tsoya Indian Dancers perform on Jackson Street.
A special feature is a live demonstration of traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, hide tanning, basket making, beekeeping, broom making, wood turning and apple butter making. Sons of the Confederate Veterans form a Civil War display.
442 W. Second North St., Morristown, TN 37814 • (423) 581-4330
The International Food Festival is a day-long annual event hosted by HOLA Lakeway each September. Here, members of the immigrant community are invited to share their customs and traditions, from food to song and dance. This event was started in 2016 by HOLA to promote both diversity and unity in the Lakeway reg
P.O. BOX 3246 Morristown, TN 37815
Tertulias are cultural meetings where community members come together and learn about the different cultures in our communities. Tertulia means “Let’s have a conversation”. It is used in Latin countries for welcoming friends to have conversations that matter. The idea of Tertulia will allow our clients and community members to have an open dialog and learn from each other.
Full day of food, fun, music & more to celebrate the liberation of African slaves in the United States presented by Keisha Monroe & the Morristown Task Force on Diversity.
Through the Morristown Taskforce on Diversity
Awards, Contests, and Music. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. presented by The Morristown Taskforce on Diversity
The Morristown Task Force will proudly present this play to Morristown on February 25, 2023 at 1:00 at the WSCC Theatre In 1955, Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton were world-ranked tennis players … yet no one wanted to partner with them in women’s doubles. In fact, few even wanted to talk with them. Post-War America was still very segregated and the tennis world was still very anti-Semitic. Eight years after Jackie Robinson had broken the color line in major league baseball, the tennis world lagged behind, clinging to its country club roots. Althea, a black woman from Harlem, and Angela, a Jewish woman from Liverpool, were outcasts in two nations. So they decided to join forces outside their own country. What happened then made history. (Length app. 55 minutes)
Task force on diversity hosts a dance competition in Morristown TN
A day of celebration for when slaves were free in TN.This includes food,splash pads,and lots of fun.
They offer a variety of educational presentations on American Indian topics, including powwows, storytelling, living history, and current events
This department on campus celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Indian Heritage Month, MLK day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Asian American Pacific Islander Month with students on campus, as well as inviting community members to be apart of the festivities. Their Instagram page is @cnmulticultural . The University Calendar will have updated information on upcoming events.
This department works to strengthen the international and intercultural dimensions of the campus through a diverse range of curricular and co-curricular programs. Central to the mission of the University, this department provides programming that is committed to the Christian values of servanthood, leadership training, and global outreach. Annual celebrations include the Spring International Festival, Passport Day, and programs through the International Club on campus. The University Calendar will have updated information on upcoming events.
Director of Multicultural Services
