The savory scent of foods from around the world will waft through the first floor of the Roaden University Center during the 7th annual Window on the World festival — and you can learn more about these ethnic culinary specialties during the event's opening symposium.

“World Foods: Beyond the Kitchen” is set for 11:15 to noon, Friday, April 15, in the Multipurpose Room. The festival itself — featuring international entertainment, children’s activities, art and craft sales, cultural displays and, yes, plenty of food — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16, in the RUC.

On Saturday, the Marketplace will be transformed into an International Food Court, with many favorites returning, including Rajan Dogra and his Indian cuisine, World Foods and its new menu addition, sushi, and vendors of Italian, Mexican, Thai, Bosnian and Israeli food.

WOW newcomers Beth and Lisle Sager, owners of Tambalaya-to-Go

New to WOW 2005 is Cajun cookery from Beth and Lisle Sager, who recently moved to our community from St. Tammany Parish just outside New Orleans, where they lived for 26 years. The name of their business, Tambalaya-to-Go, is a play on the words "Tammany" and "jambalaya." The couple ran a catering business in Louisiana for five years. Expect plenty of their award-winning jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans and rice at WOW 2005. Also new this year will be Cuban chicken and rice and Chinese fried noodles, dumplings and spring rolls.

Dance up a storm at WOW 2005

Dance, music and songs from around the globe will greet festival-goers at the RUC’s Dixie Entrance Stage (there is also a Multipurpose Room Stage upstairs). Indian dance, Scottish bagpipes and Chinese songs are just a few of the nonstop performances planned for the first floor.

For young hands and minds, the Tech Pride Room will be abuzz with international activities. The Interactive Corner will feature “Find the Country” as well as other world children’s games. At noon and 3 p.m. all ages can learn a simplified form of flamenco dance. There will be cut-outs of costumed children of the world for children to pose in — and kids will also be able to use international puppets to stage shows of their own creation. Then they can turn that imagination to fashioning French puppets called pantins.

Other returning crafts include Native American dream-catchers, Egyptian paper beads, Scandinavian heart baskets, English rubbings and Indian block prints. New to WOW’s "Hands Around the World" area for children are German hats and Aussie finger boomerangs. And in line with the festival’s new Mandala Award, young and old alike can color or create mandalas. These colorful, intricate, circular designs symbolize WOW’s goal — to recognize and celebrate the diversity of cultures in our world.

Window on the World 2005 is a fun, free, family event. The festival is sponsored by the College of Business and funded primarily by Center Stage, with contributions from Fleetguard and Wal-Mart.

For more information, visit the festival web site at www.tntech.edu/wow/. If you would like to participate as a volunteer, please contact Katie Kumar at 6197 during the day, 528-7968 in the evenings, or e-mail her at kjkumar.