Georgia Southern University will bring the world to Statesboro during the Ninth Annual International Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mill Creek Regional Park.

The annual festival, hosted by the university’s Center for International Studies, is a celebration of culture, music, art and food from around the world. Admission to the festival is free and open to everyone.

Activities include a Global Village where students from area schools pick a country and create an educational display that showcases that nation. The students get their ideas and information from Georgia Southern’s Global Ambassador Program. An ambassador from the country the students select visits their school to give a presentation, answers questions about customs and culture and offers advice on creating a booth. Georgia Southern has students from more than 90 countries.

“The schools compete each year and get so excited about this,” said Angie Threatte, coordinator for international programming and events. “Last year, Brooklet Elementary School beat out the middle and high schools! They won for representing Egypt and they were so excited. Their faces will be something to see when we do the Global Village Award Presentations on the World Stage at 12:15 p.m.”

The “It’s a Small World” area provides free international arts and crafts activities for children. There will also be musical and dance performances on the World Stage throughout the day. Plus, there will be an International Food Court and World Craft Bazaar where people can buy dishes and products from around the world.

Also, the three-day East Meets West Statesboro International Festival continues with a concert in the Carol A. Carter Recital Hall on Georgia Southern’s campus at 7:30 tonight. During the full International Festival Saturday, the final concert will be held at 11:30 a.m. Both of these concerts, along with the first one held Thursday, feature Georgia Southern visiting professors Chiao-Ling Sun, violinist, and Fu-Chien Cho, pianist, from the National Taiwan University of the Arts. The Elaris Duo — Georgia Southern professors Steven and Larisa Elisha — will join Sun and Cho tonight and Saturday.

For more information visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/intfest. The International Festival is a collaboration among the Bulloch County Board of Education, the Statesboro-Bulloch County Parks and Recreation Department, the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce.