Sights, rhythms and aromas from across the globe will infiltrate WSU the weekend of Oct. 3-5 for the first ever Humanitas Festival.

“This festival is about creating connections through celebration, and the arts are a great way to do that,” Gail Siegel, director of WSU Performing Arts, said.

Embracing world cultures, the inaugural festival will feature world music, dance, cuisine, workshops, and community outreach programs. Free concerts are held nightly. Seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis, Siegel said. 

Rhythm commences the festival on Thursday night as SEB presents Step Afrika! at 7:30 p.m. in Beasley Coliseum. Step Afrika! is a world dance group dedicated to stepping, a unique dance tradition created by African American college students, Siegel said.

Dynamically infusing the sounds from Ghana, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, and the Deep South, Okaidja and Shokoto will perform Friday night at 7:30 p.m in Jones Theatre at Daggy Hall.

Okaidja and Shokoto will also hold a community outreach performance for youth of all ages at 10 a.m. at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown. Shokoto will offer a musical journey from Africa to the Americas using instruments ranging from Ghanaian gin to the Afro-Peruvian cajon, which ties together diverse cultures using vocals and dance, Siegel said.

Saturday night, Festival Dance and Performing Arts presents Aché Brasil at 7:30 p.m. in Beasley Coliseum. Combining music, dance and acrobatics, Aché Brasil infuses the culture of Brazil along with educating the audience about Brazil’s cultural diversity, Siegel said.

“The groups are selected for the energy they bring and the quality of which they perform,” she said.

North Fairway Road, in front of Beasley Coliseum, will be transformed into a world street fair on Saturday from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. WSU Performing Arts will join the WSU International Students’ Council to present a joint Cougar World Party and outdoor festival, featuring two stages of live music, a beer garden, hands-on art, and ethnic cuisines from more than 10 different cultures.

Kate Hellmann, an International Students’ Council advisor, said she wanted to be a part of an event that helps foster the transition almost 2,000 international students on the WSU campus have to endure.

Alex Vellias, the domestic public relations chair for the International Students’ Council, has worked closely with international students and knows the struggles they experience.

“It’s hard to be in another country for anyone, and having this festival shows international students that they aren’t alone,” Vellias said.

Siegel said along with the international students, the Humanitas Festival is the chance for domestic students to learn more about other cultures.

International student Mohammed Albreiki said, “It’s a very special event because everyone has negative stereotypes about different cultures and this way we can learn more about cultures that aren’t our own.”

The festival is free and open to the public.