Natsuki Nakamura partakes of some of the food available at last year's fair. Gargoyle staff photo (click to enlarge)

URBANA — Uni High is getting ready for its third annual Cultural Fair.

On Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Uni students will gather outside Uni Gym for a midday break of dancing, conversation, learning about different cultures, and, of course, eating!

As with the past two fairs, one of the highlights will be a series of booths representing various countries and lifestyles. Stoughton Street will again be closed to allow for outdoor entertainment and plenty of audience participation.

Leading the efforts for this year’s event are junior Rachel Harmon and parents Jennifer Hamer, Felicia Gooler, and Alison Weingartner. Together with Director Steve Epperson and Assistant Director Sue Kovacs, they are working to make this a great and exciting day.

Students and parents are encouraged to participate and volunteer. Want to share information about your ethnic or cultural background? Organize a booth! Want to get people moving to the beats of your culture’s music? Help with the entertainment! Want to make friends? Bring food!

As Hamer put it in a recent schoolwide e-mail: "Remember eating and dancing and dancing and eating at last year's Uni Cultural Fair? There was bar-be-que chicken, macaroni-n-cheese, beans, and sweet potato pie (and dancing); shrimp-fried rice, egg rolls, and rice noodles (and dancing); bean burritos, tortilla chips, and salsa (and dancing) … and so much more!

"Getting hungry yet? Ready to dance? Well, on October 3rd, that time will arrive again. … But, of course, we can't do it without you!"

If you're interested in organizing a booth or bringing food, please contact Hamer (jhamer-at-illinois.edu) or Harmon (harmon-at-uni.illinois.edu).

According to an e-mail sent out by Gooler, here are a few other ways that parents and staff members can lend a hand on the day of the event:

Set Up — 7:30 to 11 a.m.

• Drop by even if it is only for a little time
• Arrange tables
• Arrange individual booths
• Arrange the food area
• Help with decorations (always a guaranteed fun way to help)
• Get the food donations and bring them to Uni around 10:30
• Set up street barricades
• Set out food
• Assist at food tables
• Sit at street barricades to move traffic from 9am-2pm

The Fair — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• COME TO THE FAIR!

Clean Up — 1 to 3 p.m.

• Break down and stack the tables
• Clean up (trash, recycle, etc.)
• Pick up carpet squares as necessary

To help with the set up or clean up, please contact Gooler at fgooler-at-dsc-illinois.org.

Led by West African dancer Djibril Camara, students and parents dance in the street during last year's cultural fair. The third annual fair will take place Oct. 3. Volunteers are still needed: Organize a booth, bring food, or help with the set up or clean up! Gargoyle staff photo (click to enlarge)

Linda Ly enjoys the food at last year's fair. Gargoyle staff photo (click to enlarge)