The 50th annual Peach Blossom Festival of Oral Interpretation will be held on April 3 and April 4 at California State University, Fresno.
About 6,000 children representing nearly 200 elementary schools in the San Joaquin Valley will participate in this year’s festival, which is hosted by the Department of Communication. The purpose of the Peach Blossom Festival is to expose children to oral interpretations and allow them to have a positive experience at Fresno State.
The festival has grown tremendously since it began 50 years ago and now attracts schools from as far north as Livingston and as far south as Delano.
With the guidance of festival director Linda Cooley, who teaches in the Communication Department, Fresno State students plan each aspect of the two-day event.
“Every year students return to work on the festival because they truly care about the youth in our community,” said Cooley. “To me that is a testament to their commitment to this festival – and honestly it is a testament to their character.”
The Fresno State students receive three units of college credit for helping, but Cooley said that most participate because they enjoy the process and believe in the festival’s mission to encourage young people to gain knowledge and appreciation of literature through oral interpretation and performance.
The festival also gives participants the opportunity to visit a university campus early on in their education.
For more information, visit the Peach Blossom Web page at
www.peachblossom.net or call 559.278.4419.
