FusionFest Orlando 2022
I was so excited to attend the 5th annual FusionFest Orlando! As a new Orlandorian last year, 2021 was my first time attending. They showcase music, dance, food, and more from cultures all around the world. This is a free two day event that's held the weekend of Thanksgiving downtown at The Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.
They set up one massive stage for the larger shows, and smaller stages for speakers and more intimate show settings. After you enter, there's food to the right and shopping to the left- with entertainment going on everywhere you look! With a full two day lineup of performances, lots of the performers find themselves walking around in costume enjoying the festival themselves!
Parking downtown isn't always the best, but early on a weekend day isn't too bad if you have to walk a few blocks. There were so many people out front asking for signatures and raising awareness for their causes- like the 'Free Iran' movement. Once inside, I headed to get a drink and scope the place out!
All of the food is categorized into $3, $6, and $9 items. I was so excited you could order a la carte this year with each vendors (last year we had to pre-order tokens). They had food from all over- Asia, Caribbean, Colombia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti & Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Japan Korea & Vietnam, Middle East, Puerto Rico, Spain, South Pacific Isles, Southern Heritage, Tex-Mex, Vietnam, and Virgin Islands. WOW!
I was pleased to see The Kava Bowl, who I got to meet last year. They just opened their first brick-and-mortar location this year- and I love getting to see small businesses grow like that! Of course you shouldn't mix alcohol and kava, so I told them I'd see them again soon.
Every hour they had different performances- from speakers to singers, dancers, and bands- going on throughout the entire event. As a big art fan, I was really excited to explore the art collection and visit the vendors in the shopping area. From clothing to art and even a place to 'Adopt a Dragon' - there was so much to see!
All of the vendors began shutting down and everyone headed to the main stage for the grand finale. We were entertained by musicians and dancers from around the world- my favorite being the fire dancing. For the finale' itself- they brought out 10 feet tall puppets with actual people inside- and we all danced to celebrate the end of the festival!
It was so fun to see cultures from around the world come together to honor each other's customs and differences. Have you ever been to FusionFest Orlando?
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