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Culture is something that is difficult to describe and can vary depending on who you ask. It could be a practice, a belief system, food, or a place of origin. The University of Denver’s Culture Fest (formerly known as Festival of Nations) is an annual event that celebrates the student body’s diverse backgrounds, customs, and traditional dishes. Students attending Culture Fest were invited to define what culture means to them on posters in Driscoll Bridge.

Culture Fest 2015 was held in the Driscoll Ballroom. Students were immediately greeted with student organizations, associations, and alliances as they navigated their way to the ballroom where a majority of the festivities and performances were located.

Students goof off in a ball pit with questions written on beach balls meant to evoke discussion about breaking down cultural barriers and challenging misconceptions.

The Kuwait table on Driscoll Bridge featured some traditional foods that were available to sample.

In Driscoll Ballroom, Culture Fest attendees were able to walk up to various cultural displays or student organizations and take part in interactive activities in order to learn more about a culture or on-campus group.

The South Asian Student Association (SASA) adorned their station with a handmade poster of their members’ handprints.

The Chinese student table offered free traditional candy and sweets, wrote attendee names in Chinese characters, and drew colorful masks as souvenirs.

One of the cultural artifacts at the Saudi Arabian table was an open-faced house that sat among a miniature woven basket, jewelry, and baked goods.

Attendees who visited the Saudi Arabian booth were invited to try on traditional garments and jewelry typically reserved for special occasions, such as holidays.

Wireless headphones played music from different cultures from around the world that attendees were asked to correctly guess the origin of for a prize. Participants were also quizzed about other nation’s capitals, geography, and cultural facts.

Students of both native and foreign origin gather in the Driscoll Ballroom, hopping from nation (station) to nation (station) in between performances put on by communities at DU and the greater Denver area.

The Kuwaiti students' sense of pride is almost palpable as they pose with their country’s clothing, flag, food, and decorations for a photo op.

Local dance company Bella Diva Dance performed at Culture Fest. According to Nps.gov, belly dancing originates from the Middle East, Mediterranean, and northeastern African areas, with sources believing that the pyramid builders in ancient Egypt were belly dancers.

Students captured Culture Fest memories with old school polaroid pictures and strung them from a support beam inside Driscoll Bridge. Whether it’s with a picture, clothing, food, or music, culture is something that is prevalent in our everyday lives (whether we realize it or not). Culture Fest successfully united the DU community in learning about the other cultures that are a part of the University of Denver. Culture comes in many shapes and forms and is something that should be celebrated not just one day, but every day.