World Language Students Presenting a Culture Fair

Aiyla Zahid and Genna Hoyt, as the co-chairwomen of the Tolland High School World Language Club, have been devising a town-wide project since last year that, in their words, would, "make an impact the local community."

They came up with a Culture Fair. 

"Our goal is to show the residents of our community that, despite Tolland being a predominately Caucasian town, there really is a breadth of diversity present," they said this week. 

The first-ever Culture Fair is scheduled for Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Birch Grove Primary School.

"Because children do not learn much about all the different people who make up our world in school, we want to spread cultural awareness and expose them to the world’s diversity by hosting this fair. It will also be a fun experience for children and families to travel around the world in just one day," Zahid and Hoyt said.  

'Some highlights of the fair include:

Performances 

• African drum circle
• Irish step dancing 
• Kung Fu 
• Latin ballroom dancing
• African-Ecuadorian music and Marimba dancing
• Salsa & Merengue lessons

Other activities

• Henna tattoos
• Pescaria, a Brazilian origami fishing game
• Lotería - Mexican bingo
• Chinese simon says  

Children's craft tables 

• Lao and British style bracelet and necklace 
• Chinese dragon • Origami fish 
• God's eyes 

Countries that will be represented at the fair are: Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, England, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Sweden, and Taiwan.