The University Student Union held the 26th annual Carnaval on April 4th from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event was free for students to attend and featured performances from different cultural groups and activities for students to enjoy.

Groups like the Jishin Taiko group, Ballet Folklórico Aztlán de CSUN, the Filipino American Student Association, and the Indian Student Association all performed at the event.

These organizations offered a workshop right after their performance, so students could learn about their history, some of the equipment they used and dances that they performed.

“What I really like about Carnaval is that it gives that kind of platform for any cultural clubs to have an opportunity to perform and showcase what their club has to offer,” said Kyle Dang, student performer at Carnaval with Jishin Taiko.

Changing around every hour throughout the event, the spread of food available varied from nachos, pan dulce and fruit to ramen and Mediterranean cuisine across two booths. After attendees received their food, they were able to find a table to sit and enjoy their meal while watching the show.

Throughout the event, it would occasionally rain, but attendees continued to wait in line for the food and watch the captivating performances.

“It just feels really special, it feels like you’re at some professional show and learning about different cultures. It was beautiful,” said Ronit Chavol, a student attendee. “So it’s really good, like you learn so much at events like this.”

Activities held during the event were primarily craft booths, such as a paint table where students were able to paint their own designs on paper plates, a hand fan decorating table and a traditional beadwork table.

Additionally, there was a henna artist that students could get a temporary design from and a photo booth with props like hats, superhero masks and party glasses available for students to use for photos with their friends.

Despite the weather, students were able to enjoy an evening of cultural activities and performances that allowed them to familiarize themselves with all the different cultural groups on campus.