The International Festival brings dozens of cultural flavors, sights and smells to the State Fairgrounds every year. At Ahmet Fer's home, the same thing happens at dinnertime.

"I am the chef for the olive-oil dishes in the house," said Fer, 58, president of the American Turkish Association of Indiana. "My wife was raised on a combination of Hungarian and German cuisine. She does a mean chicken paprikash, but she doesn't do olive-oil dishes."

He will share his culinary talents Nov. 6 through Nov. 9 when the annual festival takes center stage in the Exposition Hall.

The event is sponsored by The Nationalities Council of Indiana, a consortium of cultural groups from Ukrainians to Peruvians to Burmese. This year's festival will feature nearly 50 cultures and is bigger than ever, organizers say.

"We've got more food, more booths and a heavy schedule on the main stage," said Susan McKee, the festival chairwoman. "This is not selling anything, and this is not promoting anything other than where groups come from and what they brought to the United States."

Not that visitors won't be able to stock up on Turkish ceramics -- or fill up on a wider range of cuisine than they could find at any single restaurant.

Ahmet's Turkish group will run a cultural booth and three others. It will offer samples of Turkish foods, a Bloomington merchant will sell his ceramics and Chicago's Istanbul Market will set up a Turkish grocery.

Groups representing Germany, Japan, China, Ireland, Mexico and the Middle East will be among those offering folk dancers and music during the four-day festival. The centerpiece, McKee said, will be the Mocko Jumbies -- African stilt walkers.

Now in its 28th year, the festival draws thousands of visitors. Last year, more than 5,000 children from Central Indiana schools came on field trips in the first two days, McKee said.

One of the biggest attractions is a public naturalization ceremony. Last year, 125 immigrants were sworn in as U.S. citizens as 4,000 people watched. This year's ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Nov. 7.

But food remains one of the main draws of the festival, and some groups put considerable effort into its preparation.

"Everything we offer for foods will be from our organization," said Julie Chang, president of the Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis. Members will sell green onion pancakes, rice cakes and other goodies, and they will show visitors how to make other Taiwanese foods.

Several Turkish members also will prepare homemade foods. Fer will contribute some of his olive-oil dishes, which usually include cooked vegetables instead of meat.

For many years, McKee's children roamed the festival looking to sample spring rolls sold by different groups. The festival provides a perfect opportunity for such adventurism, she said.

"You can assemble a meal from around the world on one plate."

Call Star reporter Jon Murray at 1-317-444-6033.