Miami’s annual Latin American and Caribbean UniDiversity Festival is Sept. 30
"UniDiversity is a must for every Miami student and everyone else in the community, and I cannot wait to see it yet again this year," Efrain Pérez, co-president of Unidos
Miami’s annual Latin American and Caribbean UniDiversity Festival is Sept. 30
Enjoy food, music, dancing, traditional games, arts and crafts, children's activities and more at the 19th annual UniDiversity Festival, celebrating Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean peoples and cultures.
The free community festival runs from 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at the Uptown Parks in Oxford. In case of severe weather the festival will be held at Wilks Theater in the Armstrong Student Center.
It is part of UniDiversity, a series of events planned at Miami University to highlight National Hispanic and Latino American Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15.
The festival is sponsored by Miami’s Global Initiatives Center for American and World Cultures (CAWC) with numerous other organizations from Miami and the city of Oxford.
Schedule
Go to the UniDiversity Festival website (http://bitly.ws/urEU) for the full schedule of programs and activities, partners and sponsors, and more.
Jacqueline Rioja Velarde, associate director of the CAWC and chair of the UniDiversity Festival Planning committee since 2006, said that UniDiversity helps develop a sense of belonging and is "an invitation to celebrate our shared responsibility for building a more inclusive community."
Efrain Pérez, senior Computer Science major and co-president of the student organization UNIDOS along with Mari Hernandez, senior Supply Chain and Operations Management major, is involved with this year's UniDiversity planning. Last year, he emceed the festival with UNIDOS's past president Marianna Gay, and he describes it as one of his favorite days of the past year.
"I believe that the festival is the best instance of unity I've ever experienced. To me, it is a core part of my Miami experience, and it means a lot to me that UNIDOS is heavily involved in any way it can be," Pérez said.
Did you miss UniDiversity last year?
Revisit last year's festival through the Exposure photo essay by Scott Kissell, senior university photographer, at stories.MiamiOH.edu/unidiversity-festival.
“Newcomers can expect a sense of belonging while joining the celebration and enjoying the beats of Latin music, the taste of exquisite food, the warm family/community-oriented atmosphere, the festive and colorful environment, and much more,” Rioja Velarde said.
“Don't be surprised if you are invited to dance!”
