Jets and guests alike partied at the first-ever DIS Community Festa on April 28th to celebrate a fruitful year. Booths and food trucks brought flavor and fun to the event, while musicians and performers took over the futsal fields and basketball court. 

Composed of several teachers and staff, the Festa Committee made the entire day possible. Ms. Sumin, the event coordinator, explained that the members decided to rebrand Global Citizens Day/International Night. Mr. Jolly further clarified, “The difficulty of doing [Global Citizens Day] appropriately became an issue [because it] didn’t provide a great understanding of different ethnicities and nations around the world.” The group later conceived the idea of a DIS Festa and successfully nailed it on the first try.

“We don’t have such a festival where everyone is all together. That’s why we decided to make this a whole new event and just try it out,” Ms. Sumin said. “I wanted to show kids just to have fun and for them to experience something new; that’s the first most important thing that I had in mind.”

Kids queued up to receive colorful balloon animals and bracelets from clowns on stilts. Performances by the Mini Jets, Illusion Dance Team, and middle and high school rock bands attracted attendees from all over the field and in front of the stage to gawk at the amazing showcase. The group further bonded together through a flash mob. From elementary students to parents, people danced in sync to the cheerful music of the Cupid Shuffle. 

The volunteers and professionals who donated their talents made this event even more sensational. Young dancers from Haeseo Elementary School and performers from the Parot House received a warm ovation from the onlookers. Ms. Sumin marveled at the variety of performers. “We ended up having tap dancers, singers… We also had people with disabilities [perform for us]. We are all open to all kinds of people.” 

Among many eye-catching acts, the Daegu Middle High School (DMHS) concert filled the air with a variety of songs. John Cooper, Director of Band and Orchestra of DMHS, explained how he heard about the Festa. “Conrad Hutchings was instrumental in contacting us about attending the festival. We have a long-standing relationship between DIS and DMHS as the ‘sister schools’ of Daegu. It was nice to be part of the Daegu International School community, and I hope that this event will continue for years to come.”

Masked performer Bonjin Koo also captivated the audience. Ms. Sumin explained, “He goes all around the city to perform. He actually studied his performance in China [because it’s a] Chinese cultural, traditional performance.” The spectators gaped as he transformed his mask with a flick of his fan while his sidekick breathed fire. 

The afternoon ended with a splash as Jets dumped buckets of ice water on their favorite teachers. For the grand finale, the crowd sat on the edge of their seats while Glider, Mr. Jolly, and a few students drew raffle winners. All proceeds from the raffle, the Soak a Teacher fundraiser, and different booths – including the henna tattoo tent and the Silent Auction – were donated to the local Save the Children charity. Community Festa already seems like an old tradition, and DIS aims to continue this event for years to come.

Gallery • 14 Photos

Masked Dancer Bonjin Koo left the audience speechless with his tricks. Photo by Catherine Park.