TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1999

Festival mixture of fun

By Tina Dhamija

On-Line Forty-Niner

Cal State Long Beach was transformed into a virtual campus carnival Saturday during the 1999 Kaleidoscope Festival, dazzling visitors old and young with its colorful and festive atmosphere.

From an African marketplace to a children's petting zoo, virtually no area of the campus was left untouched as campus organizations, clubs and departments set up booths and other innovative displays to make their presence known.

Marking its 12th year on campus, the festival serves as an excellent way for the community to get together and see what the CSULB family has to offer, said David San Filipo, head of Kaleidoscope logistics.

The event drew about 25,00 visitors to CSULB and featured more than 100 attractions which included various vendors, artists and entertainers, San Filipo said.

"Its [Kaleidoscope] a great festival for the community to get together," CSULB student Kavita Shelat said.

Visitor Gabrielle DiSessa said she felt the fair was "a nice way to meet CSULB."

Festivities began at 11 a.m. and lasted until 5 p.m. The area was divided into six areas which featured different types of games, foods, vendors and entertainment for the whole family.

Children who attended Kaleidoscope were treated to educational activities sponsored by various organizations from CSULB and local communities.

In Area V, which was located on the upper campus quad in front of the MacIntosh building, children basked in the amusement of activities such as turtle racing, carnival games, face painting, and arts and crafts.

The CSULB chapter of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps also entertained children by giving them some hands-on training on how to cross a rope bridge in true military fashion.

Area IV, the African Marketplace, greeted most visitors which was located on the grassy area in front of the bookstore. The smell of succulent barbecues attracted many spectators, as they were able to choose from various types of delicious cuisine from Caribbean to African, and from Jamaican to Native American.

Exotic gifts and accessories, fine African jewelry, Native American dolls, aromatic incense sticks, colorful cotton candy and baked goods as far as the eye could see were also available to festival-goers in the marketplace.

The Steve Harvey Band, a rockabilly-blues group, took to the stage at the Alumni Pavilion near The Nugget and entertained visitors as they ate. Another performing act, The Orange County Song and Dance Troupe, belted out song and dance numbers throughout the day.

What do you get when you cross the king of pop with the king of martial arts? The dancing "Jackie Chan Jackson."

Performed by former 49er Tatsuro, his unique act also provided some entertainment and comic relief as one of the many attractions during the event.

Area II, located by the University Student Union, was dedicated to providing visitors with environmental and health awareness information.

Area I, stationed by the Vivian Engineering Center, featured booths with representatives of the 36th Annual Engineering Day group. Visitors had a chance to take home new pets by playing a fish-bowl toss and see remote control airplanes soaring overhead.