The festival, hosted by the International Students Organization (ISO) and the International Food Festival Committee, is one of the most popular events on campus. It provides a chance for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to share traditional dishes from their cultures and enjoy delicious foods from all over the world.聽This year’s event drew 233 attendees, including more than 175 students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the one night of the year where the University Commons transforms into a global buffet and your taste buds get a passport,鈥� a blurb promoting the event read.

ABOVE: The winning teams and cooks from Friday’s International Food Festival pose for a group photo at the Student Union. BELOW: Community members and students serve traditional Albanian (left) and Ethiopian cuisine (right).

A total of 11 teams participated in the competition. Those sampling the dishes could vote on their favorite cuisines through a QR code at each table. 

As announced on Friday, the winning individuals/small groups were:

• 1st place: Kurdistan (shfta, dolma, breany, salads, kubba, bammya, fasolya, rice, and paglawa) 
• 2nd place: Ethiopia (injera, misir, and tibs)
• 3rd place: Albania (lasagna, white rice with chicken and sauce, byrek with beef, byrek with cheese, and byrek with leek)

The winning clubs were:

• 1st place: Asian-Pacific Islander Student Alliance/APISA (sweetened coconut rice, mango slices, and salted coconut sauce)
• 2nd place: Latinx Student Alliance/LSA (tostadas, lettuce, sour cream, pico, and horchata)
• 3rd place: Black Student Alliance/BSA (jollof rice, African-style fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and bissap juice)

Other cuisines competing included those from Jamaica, Pakistan, Palestine/Syria, and the United States.

ABOVE: Members of the Latinx Student Alliance won second place in the competition. BELOW: Students serve dishes from Palestine/Syria (left) and from the Asian-Pacific Islander Student Alliance.

As a first-year student at 黑料正能量, Reuben Wenger was attending the International Food Festival for the first time. The biochemistry and peacebuilding double major from Hutchinson, Kansas, said he enjoys trying new foods and had been looking forward to the event.

Choosing just one dish from the night was tough, but the food from Kurdistan stood out to him. 鈥淚t was well-seasoned,鈥� said Wenger, who was penning an article on the event for The Weather Vane. 鈥淭hey had different salads with textures and tastes I鈥檝e never had before.鈥�

Aram Hanson, an instructor for 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program (IEP), was among the winning team of cooks serving Kurdish food at the festival. He credited his teammates, who were all IEP students from Kurdistan.

鈥淚t feels absolutely great,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur students are the ones who deserve it, because they cook really well.鈥�

Daven Molina, a sophomore majoring in international business and marketing, said his favorite part of the night was 鈥渟eeing all the smiles.鈥� He added that it was his first time trying shawarma, and it was an instant hit.

鈥淚鈥檝e never had it before,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got hype from the Avengers 尘辞惫颈别鈥�editor鈥檚 note: character Tony Stark suggests trying shawarma in the 2012 film鈥攂ut when I actually tried it, I was like, This is very delicious.鈥�

Another student, 黑料正能量 senior Jean Betancourt, said he liked the Kurdish food most, particularly the kuba (a dumpling鈥憀ike ball filled with seasoned meat) and biryani (a hearty rice and meat dish). 

In addition to the festival鈥檚 culinary diversity, he said his favorite part was the sense of community. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always a lot of people here. You can talk to them, and it鈥檚 just a fun vibe.鈥�

Adding to the fun vibe was DJ Adam Wirdzek (also known as EBRO), web content and strategy manager for marketing and communications, who dropped deep dubstep and cultural recommendations from the crowd.

Aram Hanson, an instructor in 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program (IEP), along with two of his IEP students, Dastan and Shalaw, conquered the competition at the 11th annual International Food Festival on Friday with their crowd-favorite Kurdish dishes.

Competing in the event for his first time, Hanson and his students prepared dolma (vegetables stuffed with rice and meat), biryani (a rice and meat dish), chicken tikka (kebabs), kuba (a type of dumpling), baklava and a variety of salads.  

鈥淚t seems that many people here liked our food, and that feels great,鈥� he said after being announced as a winner. He added that two of his family members recently opened a restaurant called Kabob Corner on South Main Street in Harrisonburg, and that if people enjoyed his Kurdish food, they would love the dishes served at the restaurant.

For placing first in the individuals and small groups category, the trio of Kurdish cooks received $200 in winnings. A second-place prize of $125 was awarded to Mohammad Khatiri and Ayam Ali, the cheesecake-baking duo behind , and a $100 third-place prize was given to 黑料正能量 staff member Amina Anwar for her Pakistani biryani.

Since winning last year鈥檚 competition, Khatiri and Ali have been busy selling their cheesecakes through their Instagram page and said they plan to launch a website soon. Khatiri said he was glad to be back at the festival for another year. 鈥淲e enjoy the whole vibe and like trying different types of food from different countries,鈥� he said. 

The winners of the student clubs category received a trophy and bragging rights. They are:

• First place: Asian-Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA)
• Second place:  Black Student Alliance (BSA)
• Third place: Latinx Student Alliance (LSA)

A total of 14 teams participated in the competition. Those sampling the dishes could vote on their favorite cuisines through a QR code at each table. 

Hosted by the International Students Organization (ISO) and the International Food Festival Committee, the festival is one of the most anticipated events of the year, drawing hundreds of students, faculty, staff and other 黑料正能量 community members to celebrate the rich flavors and traditions from around the world. Micah Shristi, director of international student services, said that more than 275 people participated in this year’s festival. He said that students represent 55 countries at 黑料正能量.

鈥淎 diversity of cultures, languages, and belief systems make our 黑料正能量 community stronger,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing demonstrates this more deliciously than the International Food Festival.鈥�

The turnout at the event included many students from other schools who were on campus for the Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship conference held over the weekend. One of those students, Abby Chappell Deckert of Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, said she enjoyed the Pakistani biryani. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great,鈥� she said while in line for cheesecake. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting to try food from other countries, and I think it鈥檚 a great alternative to the usual everyday ‘caf’ food that people get.鈥� She said that Bethel has a very diverse student body, but does not have a similar food festival of its own.

While 黑料正能量 juniors Maria Longenecker and Leah Beachy may have disagreed on which cuisine earned their vote (Longenecker favored the Ethiopian dishes while her friend preferred the Kurdish ones), they said they both considered the festival among their favorite events of the year. 鈥淭hat Kurdish food was bussin, and you can quote me on that,鈥� said Beachy, using a slang term for 鈥渄elicious.鈥�

In between bites, Harrisonburg Vice Mayor Dany Fleming and his wife, Carol, campus visit coordinator for the admissions office, took in the upbeat music and positive energy at the Student Union. 鈥淚 love the diversity that 黑料正能量 brings and has brought historically to Harrisonburg,鈥� the vice mayor said. 鈥淧art of the reason we are such an international city is specifically and directly because of 黑料正能量 and the work they do around the world.鈥�

Friday’s event, held at the Orie O. Miller Hall of Nations inside University Commons, also included an announcement from ISO student leaders about seven new flags added to the hall: Belarus, Dominican Republic, Malawi, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Sudan, and Uruguay. 

鈥淭hese flags are more than fabric,鈥� said 黑料正能量 senior and ISO co-President Fiker Yigzaw. 鈥淭hey are a testament to the stories, journeys, and contributions of our international students, past and present. Let鈥檚 continue to learn from one another, share in the joy of cultural exchange, and embrace the vibrant global spirit that unites us all.鈥�

Take a look at more photos from the 2025 International Food Festival in our Flickr gallery below: