Music, food and cultural performances filled North Lake Campus as people explored rows of booths representing cultural vendors, Dallas College programs and community organizations. The college’s first World Fest turned the lakeside into a lively mix of sound, color and connection, reflecting the diversity of the students at North Lake.

Live drumming, dancing and cultural demonstrations kept the crowd moving at the Nov. 19 event. Food trucks offered different world cuisines while students gathered around a photo booth station set up for festival pictures.

North Lake’s President Dr. Rick Smith described the atmosphere as “phenomenal” and explained why the celebration felt especially fitting for North Lake.

“Dallas College North Lake has the most diverse international population. We have 60% of our enrollments as international students. Dallas College has 75 different countries represented throughout the system,” he said.

With students from so many different cultural backgrounds in one space, he saw the festival as a way to bring students closer together.

“This being world education week was a perfect time for us to get together, [to] celebrate all of our different cultures [and] different ethnicities,” Smith said.

He emphasized that the festival wasn’t only about celebration, but about understanding adding that, even with the cultural differences, people are more alike than they are different.

Senior Director, Campus Administration, Shanné Moore said World Fest became the signature event she and Smith wanted to create for North Lake.

“We’re blessed to have such a large international student population. We thought a WorldFest would be an awesome event to come and celebrate culture,” she said.

The plan expanded quickly as different college departments stepped in to help bring the idea to life. Throughout the afternoon, performances, cultural displays and hands-on activities drew steady crowds. Students gathered around the drumming circle and joined in dances they had never tried before.

Biology major and soccer player Danielle Hernandez attended the event as a chance to experience something new.

“We were excited to see different cultures, just to learn,” she said. “We learned different dances and just different ways to relieve anything that’s going on. It was really fun.”

Community groups added to the variety, including the Nepalese Society of Texas. Its president, Rajendra Wagle, appreciated how the festival brought so many people together.

“Here, I see multicultural from all the cultural groups. [There are] all kind of people here, and it’s nice to connect with everyone,” he said, calling the gathering “the beauty of American society.”

Student organizations also saw the event as a chance to connect. Student Programs and Community Engagement (SPACE) officer Zander Kubajak spent time visiting the booths and watching performances.

“I like seeing all the different cultures,” he said. “The music was cool. It was really fun.” He hopes events like this encourage more students to get involved on campus.

As the festival continued, the mix of food, traditions and community created exactly the kind of shared space organizers envisioned. Smith summed up the spirit of the afternoon by saying, “We should all get together. You can have a good time and celebrate, learn and grow together.”

World Fest left a strong impression on attendees, setting the foundation for a tradition many hope will continue to grow in the years ahead.