Augusta’s third annual International Food Festival delighted many locals’ taste buds on Sunday afternoon, April 21, at the Augusta First Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Hosted by enthusiastic members of the church, over a dozen countries were represented through flags and deliciously, exotic foods.
With tickets selling for $15 per person, the festival’s proceeds directly benefited the church’s efforts to fundraise for the Pathfinder’s Kids Club.
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Event organizer and fundraiser overseer Christina Trevino said the club will use the money to participate in an international camporee held in Gillette, Wy.
“This is where 55,000 other kids from all over the world are meeting. It only happens every five years,” she said. “It’s for kids 10 to 14, and they learn about God and nature … it’s just a way for them to grow with God in everything that they do.”
Keeping in theme with the camporee’s international focus, Trevino said she hopes attendees have fun while learning about different countries through sampling a variety of dishes from around the world.
“My favorite part is meeting people and learning about them. Everybody comes together in this and we all get to know each other,” she said. “Because food is a common connector for everybody.”
Countries represented included: India, Korea, Mexico, Greece, Russia, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Kenya and many more.
From savory delights to sweet treats and flavorful beverages, Trevino said the festival had something for everyone to enjoy – even those with restrictive diet concerns.
“We have about 20 countries represented here today,” she said. “Everything is also vegetarian too, because we also wanted people to know that you don’t necessarily have to eat meat to eat healthy or delicious food.”
Focusing on welcoming all CSRA locals, Trevino said the event also advertised the church’s warm and richly diverse community.
“I just really want the first timers to feel that they are welcomed and leave with a smile on their face,” she said. “I just want everyone to have a good time while they get to know each other.”
Church members Cliff and Brenda McClung said they loved volunteering at the festival because both believed in its ability to open people’s eyes to different customs.
“The biggest thing we like is seeing people from outside the church come in and interact with everyone over food,” Brenda McClung said.
An experienced camp counselor for the church’s Pathfinder’s Kids Club, Brenda McClung said she felt the Wyoming event could be life changing because it would allow campers to fully immerse themselves in a large-scale international gathering.
“[The camporee] exposes children to different customs, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to travel to a whole bunch of nationalities,” she said. “It can affect them for years by opening them up to new ideas and people.”
Working with the church’s Pathfinder organization, Brenda McClung said she knows first hand how kids are positively affected by its lessons and core values.
“Pathfinders is similar to Boy Scouts because it’s about teaching them about camping, leadership, arts and crafts and responsibility,” she said.
Representing Jamaica, Karlene Rose said her family loved regularly participating in the festival and sharing their country’s traditional recipes with strangers. For her, it quickly bonds people together who otherwise might not have ever met.
“I love representing my country, so that everyone can see what things there taste like,” she said.
Rose said her family was serving famous Jamaica staples, such as rice and beans, corn bread, a ginger beer-based beverage and a veggie stewed chicken.
Regular food festival enjoyer Bobby Courtwright said he and his pet bird, Honey, loved attending the festival every year for its uplifting environment and delicious assortment.
“It’s such a diverse group of people and it’s nice to see a community come together like this without anything negative,” he said. “America itself is a diverse culture, and this is a great way to meet people in a non-threatening environment. There’s no prejudice … and food is the common glue for everyone.”
While Honey’s favorite had to be the American table’s classic mac and cheese – as she demanded multiple servings – Courtwright said he enjoyed almost everything.
First time attendees April Pasley and Jhania Johnson said they both loved several countries’ foods after filling multiple plates of food with an assortment of entrees and desserts.
“It’s just so nice to see all the different types of food and the different regions with their spices,” said Pasley “This really opens your eyes to the differences and can make people be more accepting … I love seeing what other cultures’ food is like.”
While Pasley said she highly enjoyed the Kenyan food, Johnson said her favorite had to be the potato balls from the Peruvian table.
“Some of these foods I’ve never even heard of, and this was an easy way to try them,” said Johnson.
With plenty of authentic food, Pasley said she would highly recommend locals attend next year’s festival.
