The very idea of America’s “mixing bowl” came to life in late August when 80+ countries from all over the world were represented in what is known as the largest multicultural festival in the region, the Festival of Nations. From August 24-25, lives unknown to most in the St. Louis area were provided the spotlight in Tower Grove Park.

Having gathered more than 100,000 attendees, the Festival of Nations caused the streets of south St. Louis to be lined with hundreds of cars, spanning as far as a couple of miles from the actual venue. In the festival itself, visitors were greeted with the intense aroma of food from the vendor stands, which provided cuisine originating from multiple places worldwide. From Panamanian empanadas to Chinese dumplings, every country was given the chance to showcase their distinctive dishes.

Along with food, vendors sold handicrafts unique to their country. Native-Americans repped their carefully woven handbags, while Ghanaians advertised their traditional clothing. 

At the heart of the event was the main stage, where people really got to bring their home country to the American spotlight. Multiple ethnic groups provided performances of cultural dance and singing, along with instrumentals straight from the homeland.

A performer from the event, senior Marko Vrhovac felt that the festival not only gave him the opportunity to share his passion for music, but also a third place that allowed him to connect more deeply with his heritage.

“I chose [to perform] because for me, my family comes from Croatia, and being able to share my culture, where I’m from, is just really important to me. Being able to share both my music and my culture at the same time was an amazing opportunity,” Vrhovac said.

Sharing his music gave Vrhovac the chance to represent his heritage, even if it meant being one of the only Croatian performers at the festival. Such a feeling of connection truly highlights the whole purpose of the congregation, which is to ensure that every identity, from all parts of the world, is given the opportunity to belong. 

One of the attendees, senior Ella Mize, found the event a great experience. Mize was initially intrigued by the variety of communities that she could interact with in St. Louis.

“I found out about the Festival of Nations from social media posts,” Mize said. “My interest in the food and cultural events had influenced me to go in the first place.” 

Foods like veggie samosas, falafel and more were quite the indulgence for Mize. Though the entertainment value was plentiful, the impact the event had on her as a person was just as valuable. 

“There was so much good food and from so many places,” Mize said. “I thought [the festival] was so amazing. I didn’t know there were so many cultures here. It was so cool to see people from all over the world gathered together.”

Overall, the festival provided great insight into the various cultures, practices, and foods of St. Louis that the general population is not typically exposed to. The effects of seeing people through a different lens alters greatly the views of one onto society. Although the festival was successful in creating an inclusive environment, some students feel as though there is more progress to be made within the school community. 

“I think there could definitely be improvement,” Mize said. “I don’t think a lot of people [at the school] know enough about other cultures and what is going on around the world.”

Being provided multiple viewpoints into one’s way of living is a factor into the way people shape their outlook of all else. Whether it be socially, politically, or personally, understanding others has a great role in all of it. However, there is a way in which the school can increase their acceptance. Vrhovac provided some ideas.

“We could have something like a cultural event. I think it would be awesome, because every other school has something along those lines, where students from all backgrounds can bring their flags, traditional clothing, food – all that,” Vrhovac said.

If other schools are able to incorporate such things for their diverse students, then perhaps FHC could do the same. Junior Nuwelin Dagne, an Ethiopian-American student at Francis Howell Central, has similar views on the subject.

“I feel like our school is kind of in between. There are the majority of people who are very accepting at our school, and then there are the ones who will straight up call you slurs,” Nuwelin said. “I really think that events that highlight the diversity of people would really give the Francis Howell Central community the ability to explore different cultures – get a sense of the food, see if they like it or not.”

The Festival of Nations represents the path to the ideal American Dream, a place where all people of all backgrounds can come together and feel connected not only to their homeland, but additionally to their vastly different neighbors. Maybe in the future, Francis Howell Central can incorporate similar values and practices into their own community, improving upon discrete issues experienced by the minority. 

“It would be helpful to just expose everyone to different practices outside of their own,” Dagne said.