UT-Arlington hosts campuswide Thanksgiving feast

ARLINGTON, Texas - Members of the University of Texas at Arlington community who are not able to make it home for the Thanksgiving holiday will be treated to an on-campus feast on Tuesday.

UT-Arlington’s Connections Café is being transformed with piping hot food and carefully placed decorations. The highly anticipated feast from 5 to 8 p.m. is expected to feed hundreds of students, staff, and faculty.

It originated in 2017 as an event for the many international students at UT-Arlington who could not travel home at a time when most students who live in the United States were taking time off to visit family. Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds.

"It is really special to have hundreds and hundreds of people together from UTA and all walks of life in the community as well," said Adam Sichta, the event coordinator. "We even have UTA PD here to join in the event. It’s just awesome to look around and see so many people together, talking, meeting each other, celebrating this holiday."

UT-Arlington has about 6,000 international students from more than 100 countries. The event’s menu reflects that.

Executive Chef Bryant Currie prepared not only a turkey and all the trimmings but a large variety of vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian options, as well as desserts of every kind.