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| Orange County Mayor-elect Jerry Demings at FusionFest Preview Event |
New festival brings two days of cultural and international entertainment, food and film to Central Florida
Central Florida is alive with hospitality for our nearly 68 million visitors each year and Orlando consistently ranks high for friendliest US cities to visit. This synergist combination of hospitality and friendliness is because of, or at least enhanced by, the city’s rich cultural tapestry. So diverse in fact, that Orange County has been coined by Orange County’s Chief Arts Instigator, Terry Olson as “DIVERSITASTIC”.
Photos shown here were provided by Orange County and show a diversitastic group gathering on October 19th for the FusionFest Preview event and Diversitastic Opening Reception.
The first-ever FusionFest is coming Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 24 and 25, to the grounds of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando.
- Two full days – noon to sundown – of international food, music, dance, film, fashion and storytelling.
- Go to FusionFest.org for the entire schedule – it’s mostly free, except for the sample-size food & drink offerings.
- Hundreds of voices join the Diversitastic! Choir at sundown both nights, closing the festival with the I Can Be Me Here theme song.
- On Saturday night, the Global Dance Street Party continues until 10 p.m. on Orange Avenue.
“Come share a smile and your heritage and “you may discover just how different other people really aren’t!” Two full days – noon to sundown – of international food, music, dance, film, fashion and storytelling.
Press Release Orange County, FL – A brand-new festival celebrating Central Florida’s growing diversity is coming to Orange County on Thanksgiving weekend this year. FusionFest , a free, two-day celebration of cultural inclusion, will be held on Nov. 24 and 25 in front of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown and will last from noon to sundown on both days. Festivities will include multiple stages, a food court, marketplace and other interactive activities along Orange Avenue at Orlando City Hall Commons. Performances will focus on original cultures as well as reflecting fusions from different world regions. The MYgration short film program will offer personal stories of how Central Floridians came to live here from other parts of the world. Go to FusionFest.org for the entire schedule. It’s mostly free, except for food, drink and merchandise purchases.
“The goal of FusionFest to bring together, welcome and celebrate the growing number of people who come from around the world to call Central Florida home,” said Terry Olson, FusionFest coordinator. Olson has been guiding and growing the celebration of diversity for several years in his role as director of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs. “I’ve always loved bringing people together, and this project is particularly fun because of the wide variety of creative people from all over the world,” said Olson, who was the founder of
SAK Comedy Lab and the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, but acknowledges this is the biggest project he has ever taken on.
What started as an idea became a grassroots movement powered by the multinational volunteer steering committee, as well as first-class creative and production team, and a growing family of sponsors and community partners. Presented by the Dr. Phillips Center, FusionFest is a project of the Downtown Arts District with support from Orange County Government , the City of Orlando and a growing grassroots movement. Read Full Press Release
