At the heart of Veishea are the students of Iowa State, and this year’s Veishea celebration will put dozens of student groups into the spotlight.

Displays, food sales and performances will provide an insight into the various organizations during the open houses and cultural festival on campus, said Jason Schlichte, open house co-chair.

“The open houses are an opportunity for organizations and clubs to put on a little display … and an opportunity for students to see what’s available on campus,” he said.

The open houses are a long-time Veishea tradition. Beginning in 1922, “the open house and the cultural festival make up the educational part of Veishea,” Schlichte said.

The 102 open houses, which is an increase from last year, range in elaboration with displays including pictures, drawings and display tables. The Army ROTC will have a helicopter and Outdoor Recreation will display a sailboat and a canoe, Schlichte said.

Schlichte said some of the open houses will be more interactive, such as a petting zoo by the Pre-Vet Club and the demonstrations by the Fencing and Tae Kwon Do clubs.

The open houses are being held Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. all over campus.

The Cultural Festival represents a global village and allows “multicultural groups to show what they do,” Schlichte said.

This year, 10 groups will be selling authentic cultural foods, while another 13 groups will be having displays representing various countries, he said. Some groups will be selling crafts also, said John Atkinson, open house co-chair.

With the delayed construction in the Memorial Union, Atkinson said, there were some problems finding places to cook and prepare the food.

Atkinson said Ames Health Inspector, Kevin Anderson, helped find licensed kitchens in churches and in the Mary Greeley Medical Center to use for cooking the food.

The cultural festival is held on Saturday only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Also, several groups will perform from 10 a.m. to noon Friday and at 3 p.m. Saturday, between Curtiss Hall and the Campanile.

“The performances include dancing or singing traditional songs of their cultures,” Schlichte said.

Part of the open house includes a children’s play area at Cy’s Big Top. It will have “a whole bunch of little kids’ games,” he said.

“There is going to be a carnival, a dunk tank, a petting zoo and a pie toss,” Schlichte said.

A coloring contest will be held for the kids at Cy’s and “Cy’s Big Top, as always, is a great event for younger kids,” Atkinson said. The event at Cy’s Big Top will be held today from noon to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Two monetary prizes will be given, one for the cultural festival and one for Cy’s Big Top, to reward the groups for their hard work, Atkinson added.

A panel comprised of faculty and staff and others from the community will judge the displays, he said.

“We’d like to have as many people out to the open houses … There will be a lot more this year,” Atkinson said.