Cultural Exchange In Our Own Backyard

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EF students demonstrate a Chilean dance to Tappan Hill students

November 25, 2025

The EF International Language Campus in Tarrytown welcomed the community to its annual Culture Fair on November 7 in Marian Hall, on EF’s Marymount Avenue campus.

This year’s event brought together more than 700 EF students representing over 50 nationalities, each showcasing their unique customs, traditions, languages, music, and cuisine. Among the special guests were four classes of first graders from Tappan Hill Elementary School, led by Principal Alicia Manguso, who were invited to experience a global celebration right in their own backyard.

The young visitors eagerly explored the fair’s many cultural booths—learning how to use chopsticks in China, tasting brigadeiro in Brazil, picking up “football” tips in France, watching Kanji calligraphy in Japan, and joining in lively dances in Chile.

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Earlier this fall, EF and Tappan Hill students also collaborated during Hispanic Heritage Month when EF students from Latin America visited the elementary school to read children’s books in both English and Spanish, connecting through language, storytelling, and shared cultural pride.

Learning to use chopsticks–a lifetime skill

“The Culture Fair is one of our most meaningful events on campus,” said Debby Arapovic, Campus Director at EF Tarrytown. “It’s inspiring to see our international students share their cultures with such pride and joy, and to watch local children discover that the world is much bigger, and yet so connected, right here in Tarrytown.”

The annual EF Culture Fair continues to be a highlight for both EF and the local community, celebrating multiculturalism and the power of exchange between local students and EF’s international learners – bringing the world to Tarrytown, and Tarrytown to the world.

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