Every year communities around Indianapolis await with anticipation for the coming of an event rich with international flavors. It’s not too often Indianapolis hosted international even like the Pan American games, but the International Festival is special, it’s Indianapolis’ own.

Every year, at around this time, when the busy outdoor summer time is almost over, crowd would gather in mass at the Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, to see, taste, hear, touch, and feel all the diverse international flavors that make central Indiana’s rich ethnic heritage.

The International Festival is hosted by the Nationalities Council of Indiana, a non-profit, all-volunteer educational foundation comprised of more than 50 ethnic or national affinity organizations plus other groups, businesses and individuals interested in celebrating Indy's diversity.

This year's International Festival, the 30th, is from November 2 till 5, 2006. Both Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. are reserved for school field trips and other groups of school-age children. The festival is open to the public from 3-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3; from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, and from noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5.

The tickets for Adults are $9 at the door. Children (6-12) are $5; children 5 and under are admitted free. Discounted advance sale tickets for adults ($7) are available at the Customer Service Counter in Indianapolis-area Marsh Supermarkets. AAA members can show their membership cards at the box office and receive the advance sale ticket price at the door. Children's tickets are $6 in advance and at the door.

The first festival, held in October 1976, also in the Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, was sparked by the U.S. Bicentennial Celebrations. Several of the same ethnic groups who organized the first festival are still involved in the Nationalities Council and participating in the 2006 festival.

Of course, there will be the Global Bazaar that will take you for a shopping trip around the world with great and unusual souvenirs or Christmas gifts. Children of all ages and adults will have much to learn from multiple Cultural displays showing people from around the world who have settled in Indiana. Come and experience some of our community's cultural heritage! Then who could miss the sampling of the ethnic cuisine which fills the air with mouth watering scents? This year, the San Jose Taiko Drummers are the headline entertainment on the Main Stage.

The San Jose Taiko has mesmerized audiences and critics all over with the powerful, spellbinding and propulsive sounds of the Japanese taiko drums for three decades. The San Jose Taiko was founded in 1973 by young Asian Americans looking to Japan for inspiration and conveying their unique experiences as third generation Japanese Americans, or Sansei.

As a symbol, the taiko drum holds much of the essence and spirit of Japan. Priests used taiko to dispel evil spirits and insects from the rice fields; Samurai used taiko to instill fear in the enemy and courage in themselves; and the peasants used taiko in their prayers for rain, in festivals, and in thanksgiving for bountiful harvests. The traditional practice and performance of taiko requires dedication, physical endurance, harmony and a collective spirit. The San Jose Taiko uses the power and beauty of the taiko drum to transcend cultural barriers and foster a greater understanding of the Japanese American culture. Taiko is so deeply a part of the traditions of the Japanese and the Shinto and Buddhist religions that it is considered to be both the essence and the heartbeat of the Japanese spirit. Come and Discover!