Tuesday’s sweltering heat and humidity created an ideal environment for sitting indoors in the comfort of air conditioning. However, the campus streets were full of students taking care of their pre-academic woes, while enjoying the festivities.

Past the police barricade on Nevada Street, students paused to look at the commotion where the I-Celebrate: Taste of Nevada was in full swing.

The Taste of Nevada, in its third year running, was organized by Adele Lozano, director of La Casa Cultural Latina. The purpose of the festival is to introduce students to the resources available to them, particularly minority students.

The festival took place on Nevada Street where other cultural centers exist, as well as booths represented by both LGBT and various women’s programs. According to Laura Castaneda, secretary of La Casa Cultural Latina, there appeared to be more students than in years past.

“A lot of students don’t use the cultural centers, so this is a good way to introduce them,” Castaneda said.

The curbs of Nevada Street were lined with students eating food whose recipes originated from around the globe. Students crowded the street with egg rolls, tacos, pizza, and even macaroni and cheese. To battle the intense heat, free bottles of water and Popsicles were also provided.Melissa Shields, junior in Business, Jessica Shaw, and Megan Williams, both juniors in LAS, sat by the street exchanging different kinds of baklava, a Middle-Eastern pastry dessert.

“Mine has pistachio, it’s heavy and it coats your mouth, it’s really good,” Shaw said. Shields and Williams looked at their own pieces of baklava and nodded in agreement.Amidst food swapping in the street, there were several performers providing live entertainment.

The first group was Indigenous Resistance, a Native American hip-hop ensemble.

The music combined traditional sounds of Native American vocals, the beat of a single drum, and contemporary hip-hop. The group also expressed disdain for Chief Illiniwek, the University’s former mascot, and during the performance could be heard saying, “Where my natives at?”

Organizers offered incentives for students to go inside the cultural centers by providing them with “community compasses”, pamphlets containing information about each participating group.

On the back of the “compass” was a sheet where students received a stamp after entering each center. After receiving all seven stamps, students could enter their name into a drawing to win prizes. The sole purpose of attending the festival was free food, admitted some students, while others appreciated the cultural influences it offered.

“I wanted to check the Taste of Nevada out and I like free food,” Emily Pajerski said, freshman in Engineering, as she exited the Asian American Cultural Center with a plate of East and South Asian food.

The festival is especially important for incoming students, particularly those unaware of the many diverse groups and organizations present on campus, said Grace Casillas, the assistant director for the Office of Student Minority Affairs.

While Pajerski did appreciate the free food, the festival was successful in sparking her interest from the many groups represented.

“I like to learn and try to understand different cultures,” Pajerski said. “It may sound cheesy, but I’m serious.”