On Sunday, 12 September Darden celebrated its annual Global Food Festival organized by the Global Business and Culture Club (GBCC) and sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs and Center for Global Initiatives. The Global Food Festival is one of the most favored traditional student events at Darden. As last year’s event was held virtually, students and faculty alike were excited to return to Flagler Court to share in the delicious food, diverse culture, sounds and moves. This year, 27 teams of Darden students signed up to prepare and share food from their country or region of origin. Over 400 students and faculty attended. “Undercover” faculty judges also attended the event to rank their top choices for best food, best presentation and best performance. The winners were:
Best Food:
1st Place- Nigeria ($100 prize)
2nd Place- Brazil ($75 prize)
3rd Place- Japan ($50 prize)
Best Presentation (attire/decoration):
1st Place- Belarus ($50 prize)
Best Performance:
1st Place- Bachata ($50 prize)
The Global Food Festival also included several song, dance and talent performances by Darden students, including Bollywood dancing (India), salsa dancing (South America), Bachata (Caribbean) and song performances (China and US). The Global Business and Culture Club, shared their appreciation for Darden’s annual Global Food Festival event:
“Coming out of the pandemic, we [Darden] cherish the value of the community more than ever. People are enthusiastic about extending connections here, so we are doing this for everyone in this community and hoping to bring us together. GBCC has made efforts to turn this event into a platform to engage communication from different cultures and demonstrate how much Darden values the international community”.
"My heart is so full reflecting on how the Darden community came together to celebrate 25+ cultures (domestic and international) this past Sunday!!! It took a village to bring the Global Food Festival to life, and I can’t be more grateful for the entire GBCC team, our strong advocate Larry Mueller, the amazingly talented performers, generous and hospitable hosts of each booth, selfless volunteers, and everyone who brought great energy to this celebration! This event wouldn’t have been so successful without each one of you.❤"
Photo Credit: Priyank Kumar
