After spending the afternoon weaving through crowds on the Quad and getting a noticeable

suntan, you’re bound to work up an appetite. Luckily, Nevada Street offers just the solution.

I-Celebrate’s Taste of Nevada offers free food, entertainment and tours of the University’s cultural houses that populate Nevada Street.

“We try to get students exposed to a lot of different things and meet new people (during Welcome Week), and they do that through the Taste of Nevada,” said Gina Lee-Olukoya, associate dean of students.

The event is sponsored by New Student Programs and the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations and takes place from 4-6 p.m. Sunday.

The festival showcases the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, the Asian American Cultural Center, La Casa Cultural Latina, the LGBT Resource Center, Native American House, the Women’s Resource Center and the Diversity and Social Justice Education group.

The Taste of Nevada features ethnic food provided by vendors from the Champaign-Urbana community, Lee-Olukoya said.

Veronica Kann, interim director of La Casa, said a combination between savory dishes and desserts will be featured at the festival. One example is empanadas, a traditional Spanish stuffed pastry.

Coralie Morauw, graduate student and former NSP coordinator, reminisced of her Taste of Nevada experience from last year. The festival included games such as Guitar Hero, a blow-up obstacle course and a water balloon toss, “which was really nice because it was so warm, so you kind of wanted it to pop on you,” she said. This year, festival goers can play Wii, and two DJs will provide music, Lee-Olukoya said.

Taste of Nevada is an early and easily accessible opportunity to introduce students to the University’s cultural programs. Students can learn about the cultural centers not only through the cuisine but also through tours, presentations and one-on-one talks with staff.

“Part of it is to get students who may not normally come to the cultural houses to visit us and see what we have to offer,” Kann said. “We’ll have students and staff working that day, talking a little bit about the history of La Casa, and talking about the kind of events and programs we have, so it’s just a chance for students to get to know us and see what we do.”

Taste of Nevada is a great addition to Quad Day, Morauw said.

“It’s a good complement in the sense that people are just going to keep walking (after Quad Day ends) and then notice it’s there and see food and music,” she said. “It’s kind of like an after-party to the Quad Day.”

Because of the logistical requirements, the festival takes months of planning and preparation. However, the hardworking individuals in NSP, OIRR and other units have made the planning process easier, Lee-Olukoya said.

“At the University of Illinois, we have some amazing, talented professionals and students. Everyone has taken up their responsibilities, and so everything has been executed really well,” she said. “I think whenever you have a committee that has that kind of synergy where people know their jobs and do them really well … it makes it a lot easier to do.”