ORLANDO, Fla. – A two-day celebration of cultures is coming to downtown Orlando this weekend.
FusionFest is a festival showcasing over 110 cultures through food, dance and art at the Seneff Artz Plaza at Dr. Phillips Center on Saturday and Sunday.
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Event organizers described the festival as “a place where we honored our heritages while celebrating how we influence each other as we shape our own unique identity as Central Floridians.”
Thali Sugisawa, the executive director of FusionFest, was featured on the Florida Foodie podcast earlier this year and said the mission behind FusionFest is to get people to learn about different cultures.
“Now we’re all here in Central Florida. How does that look like? How are we as Central Floridians coming from India, coming from Ohio, because we don’t only celebrate cultures from other countries. Also, you know, how does a Texan live here now in Central Florida, how does that look like with your Texas barbecue, right? Totally different style, right? So like kind of celebrating us as Central Floridians with all our backgrounds,” she said.
Sigisawa said the food vendors at FusionFest have been curated to offer the best of the best.
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“Our whole point is for people to learn about each other. We only fear what we don’t know. Right? We feel like uncomfortable when we don’t know something but once we know, then I feel like we can just be more comfortable and don’t fear, like we can actually become friends,” Sigisawa said.
Here’s what the festival offers:
- Opening Spectacle & Diversitastic! Choir
- Naturalization Ceremony
- Kaleidoscope - The Wonders of Creative Collaboration
- International Food Court & Marketplace
- Stages featuring music, dance, spoken word, cosplay and fashion
- Film Station screening the MYgration Films in partnership with Global Peace Film Festival
- Art Gallery
- Family Village
- Interactive Experiences & Art Classes
- Cardboard Village of the World
- Cultural Displays
- Exciting Prizes
- Global Street Dance Party
- Scavenger Hunt
- Country Meet-Up & Group Photo
To view the full schedule, click here.