Take a trip around the world Saturday without leaving the familiarity of Main Street.

Munch on a French crˆpe while perfecting a hairstyle from Kenya. Follow the Southeastern Asian tradition of turning an ordinary apple into a work of art during a traditional Native American story. Play a lively game of badminton, an Indian sport, to the tunes of a German polka band.

All these events are part of the FACES multicultural festival, which will happen all day Saturday in and around downtown Ames.

FACES is an acronym for “Families of Ames Celebrating Ethnicities,” said Kori Heuss, program manager for the Ames Chamber of Commerce.

“The purpose of the event is for people to learn about a culture not their own,” she said. “It’s important for us to align cultures and learn about the differences and similarities we all have.”

The festival achieves this goal through interactive events, Heuss said.

Interactive booths, demonstrations, ethnic foods, music and international sports and games are some of the activities on the schedule.

Heuss said every event has an “ethnic basis,” which includes everything from German and Norwegian to Indian and Laotian to Native American.

“Anyone who has a different culture can be involved,” she said.

Heuss said 30 cultural organizations from Ames and Story County will present their cultures tomorrow.

Sixteen of the organizations are ISU student groups. Heuss said their participation in FACES is especially important.

“A large part of the diversity we have here is because of the university,” she said.

Jasmine Staggers and other members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will be performing a step routine.

Staggers, senior in computer engineering, said the event is a wonderful way to share her heritage.

“I think it’ll have a good impact on the community,” she said. “Some people have never been out of Ames or out of Iowa. It’ll be a good chance to diversify the Ames community.”

Staggers said stepping originated in Africa, where members of different villages and tribes would pound out rhythms on drums.

Now, the rhythms are a lot of “hand-clapping and feet-stomping,” she said.

“When we step, [it’s] along with the anthem of our history,” Staggers said.

Heuss said this is the first year for the event, which came from recommendations of community members.

“Basically, it was a general recommendation we needed to recognize the cultures of people all over Ames,” she said. “There was a recommendation to the [city] Human Relations Commission we needed to celebrate the different cultures in Ames.”

Heuss said whether FACES is a recurring event will depend on this year’s success. She said she hopes it will continue.

“It doesn’t become any less important,” Heuss said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a good turnout. It seems to have pretty good community support.”

The festival starts at 8:30 a.m. with a free Hy-Vee Breakfast in the Hilton Coliseum parking lot.

At 10 a.m., the festival will snake its way to downtown with a Unity March.

In and around the downtown area, cultural groups will have interactive booths and food stands until 6 p.m.

A “World Stage” will feature a new cultural group every half hour from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Irene Farrera, a Latin music performer from Venezuela, will play in the Ames City Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $7 and can be reserved by calling 239-5360.

A World Beat Street Dance will follow the concert and last until midnight. Heuss said music will include “everything from barn music to reggae to steel drums.”