This weekend, the Touch of Africa wants to enlighten more than 500 students about African culture through cuisine, dance, poetry, skits and a live band.

Once celebrated in a cramped dorm room, now, two decades later, the annual celebration has already sold out of tickets, and will take place at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Titlayo Oladosu-Okoror, president of the African Student Association, which is sponsoring the event, said the Touch of Africa started as a get-together 20 years ago to give African students a sense of community.

"[The African students] were in a new place where many people had many notions about them," she said.

The bi-weekly gatherings generated so much interest that the venue changed to larger areas, including East Halls, the HUB-Robeson Center and the Bryce Jordan Center.

In addition to allowing attendees to enjoy various African festivities, the Touch of Africa celebration hopes to educate the public about the occasionally misunderstood African culture, she said. "National Geographic shows you people walking around naked," Oladosu-Okoror said. "There is so much focus on that. But [African culture] is more than that."

Oladosu-Okoror said African culture is based on kindness and heritage.

"Africans believe in humanity and people," she said. "Sharing comes naturally -- we don't even think twice."

Deyo Olorunnisola, an admissions counselor, has been involved in the Touch of Africa show for 11 years and has noticed an increase in attendance with each performance.

"People come from all over the country; former students, people who have heard of it," Olorunnisola said.

Oladosu-Okoror said the Touch of Africa has been held in the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel for the last eight years, and the event's popularity can be attributed to several different reasons. "One of the factors was the success of last year's event -- how it wasn't drawn out," she said, referring to the length of last year's event, which was shorter than in previous years.

In addition, Oladosu-Okoror said the first Pre-Touch of Africa Show, held last month, also helped to create a buzz about the event. It featured a Disc jockey, skits, a fashion show and prizes.

"We had about 300 people dancing and having fun at that event," she said.

Yetty Shobo, African Student Association secretary, said she does not believe holding the event the same weekend as the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon will have a negative effect on either event.

"We are encouraging international students to attend both [Touch of Africa and Thon]," Shobo said.

She added that their event was not intentionally scheduled for the same weekend as Thon.

"It was the only weekend the Penn Stater had open in [Black History Month]," she said. "We had to take what we can get."

Shobo said this year's Touch of Africa should be impressive for those who attend.

"It's going to be great this year, as indicated by the sell-out," she said.