Cultural Community Celebrations
All Multicultural Center festivals and celebrations are open to all students, as a way to learn about the diversity of cultural and identity groups here on Ohio State's campus. Please come, enjoy, learn and share your stories with others!
African American Heritage Festival
The African American Heritage Festival is a 32 year-old celebration intended to educate, impact, and promote cultural awareness while commemorating the legacy of the African American experience. The Multicultural Center, with the assistance of other campus departments, co-sponsors this Spring Quarter eight-day festival. Any student can become a part of the leadership team to plan the events of the week. Past events have included barbeques, concerts, debates, community service events, and so much more! The dates of the Heritage Festival are usually the last week of April.
American Indian/Indigenous Awareness Week
American Indian/Indigenous Awareness Week (AIAW) is a week set aside during the Spring that celebrates and recognizes Indigenous contributions throughout history. This week is an alternative time for Indigenous peoples to raise awareness to the larger communities that they are still here and making strides on all levels of American society.
Day of Remembrance
This is an established program in which we look at Asian issues during the week but the title and highlighted event is from the recognition of the internment of the Japanese during World War II. This is done in collaboration with Asian American Studies and various other partners. The week long events takes place in February.
Dia de los Muertos/Honoring our Ancestors
Intercultural program in collaboration with the Hispanic/Latin@ community and American Indian/Indigenous community to discuss how various cultures honor and create rituals around their ancestors. One or two Indigenous cultures would be highlighted to discuss their behaviors around honoring their ancestors.
Drums & Dough! An Intercultural Journey through Music and Breads
Drums & Dough! is a Welcome Week signature event every Fall, partnered across campus units, to welcome all students back to campus in a way that celebrates and affirms the rich intercultural diversity of the Ohio State community. The event features several drumming performances and foods across cultures, and a festival atmosphere with balloon and henna artists. Students connect via foods, dancing, and drumming with old and new friends.
Family Affair and Reunion
A joint venture of the Multicultural Center and the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, Family Affair & Reunion is an event that enables Academic departments and Student Life units to highlight the services, support, and program offerings to students. Faculty and staff who identify with the African American community as members and allies will also be able to connect with students who need to know that there is support within university units to make sure they successfully complete their degree at OSU in a safe and inclusive environment.
Freedom Festival
The Multicultural Center's annual Spring Freedom Festival celebrates a theme all cultures and identites have something to say about -- freedom! Student performances around journeys of freedom are the main feature of this festival, along with food, music, and other arts. The MCC Freedom Festival planning team encourages students to get involved early on in the planning to help create a meaningful festival for all.
This annual intercultural event was initiated in April of 2010 as our Grand Opening celebration. Our goal as the Multicultural Center at Ohio State is to raise awareness, build skills and create community around social justice and equality, locally and globally. The lantern tower and the location of the Multicultural Center on the first floor of the tower are a continuous call to all students of all identities and cultures at Ohio State to reflect on and share their stories of freedom and to take an active role in journeys of freedom and social justice, for themselves, for their friends and for others in the world who do not yet enjoy full freedoms.
KaWaNi Dance Social
An American Indian/Indigenous dance social that highlights a southern dance style tradition. This is a one day event that is held in collaboration with the American Indian Council student group. This event is held typically to let singers practice new songs in front of an audience, dancers to try out new dance steps and dance styles, as well as getting together after a cold winter to warm up those dance moccasins and singing voices. This event is open to The Ohio State Univesity community and allies. Come socialize with the American Indian Council and the Multicultural Center. For more information or questions, please contact Candi Krisch at krisch.1@osu.edu or (614) 688-8449.
National Coming Out Day
NCOD is an internationally-observed civil awareness day for coming out and discussion about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) issues. It is observed on October 11 every year by members of the LGBTQ communities and their allied supporters. In addition to programming around this event, each year the Multicultural Center puts together a two page ad in the Lantern to raise general campus awareness about the day and it's meaning. For more information contact Angie Wellman at wellman.63@osu.edu.
National Day of Silence
The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. For more information contact Angie Wellman at wellman.63@osu.edu.
Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration
This annual event showcases local community elders who share knowledge about the celebration of Kwanzaa. This event is co-sponsored by the Black Graduate and Professional Student Caucus, The Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center and The Multicultural Center. Student organizations are encouraged to participate.
Alternative Thanksgiving/Harvest Celebration
Alternative Thanksgiving/Harvest Celebration is an open alternative event to the Thanksgiving national holiday. This event gives American Indian/Indigenous students an opportunity to create/nurture their OSU community as they would if they were at home within their Indigenous communities whether in an Urban, reservation or traditional lands space. This is an event where friends and allies will learn about history and traditions of American Indian/Indigenous peoples at the time of contact and differing viewpoints. Food will be served that was common in Ohio in 1830. To assure enough food, this is an RSVP event. Please contact Candi Krisch at krisch.1@osu.edu or (614) 688-8449.