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Signature Events

Signature Events

FusionFest’s signature event of the year – a free festival with something for everyone, from delicious foods, to colorful dances; from delightful strains of music that spans the globe to hand crafted gifts and unique items to purchase; from interactive activities for adult folks to delightful Village of the World for kids. All this in front of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 445 S Orange Ave, Orlando.

Check out some of the following things you’ll find at the festival

Cosplay Competition & Awards: Unleash your inner character at FusionFest’s Cosplay Meet-Up & Contest! Join fellow enthusiasts, showcase your fiction-inspired cosplay, and compete for the spotlight.

Sat 12:00 (Kids)
Sat 1:00 (Adults)


Country Meet-Ups & Photo Op:  Find your tribe at FusionFest’s Country Meet-Ups! Whether you’re reuniting with compatriots or exploring new cultures, it’s your passport to global connections. Come, mingle, and let the world become your neighborhood!

Saturday, 11am – 6 pm, Sunday 1 – 5 pm

 

Cultural Displays: Step into a world of wonder at FusionFest’s Cultural Displays! Explore vibrant costumes, age-old traditions, and the rich tapestry of global cultures. Be inspired and immerse yourself in the beauty of diversity!

Sat 11 am – 6 pm, Sun 1-5 pm

 

Family Village: Discover a world of imagination at FusionFest’s Family Village with Kids Global Village, Giant Puppet Friends, Arts & Crafts Projects and Fun & Games

Sat 11 am – 7 pm, Sun 1 -5pm


Fashion: Heritage Fashion Showcase: The runway at FusionFest will come alive with a kaleidoscope of fashion from around the world, reflecting the diverse origins and heritages of the Central Florida community!

Sun 2pm


Field of Flags:  Immerse yourself in FusionFest’s Field of Flags! After being proudly carried by local ambassadors from over 100 cultures in the FusionFest parade, these flags find their home here. Capture a moment beside your favorite flag and revel in Central Florida’s rich diversity.

Sat 10am – 5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm


Find-a-Friend Flowers: Ever have a stranger brighten your day with a flower? Experience the magic at FusionFest’s Find-a-Friend Flowers! Step out of your comfort zone, receive a flower, and let serendipity guide your FusionFest journey.

Sat 10am – 5 pm, Sun 12 – 5 pm

Foods of the World & Fusion Food: Embark on a culinary journey at FusionFest with Foods of the World & fusion dishes from the winning chefs of the culinary contest. Dive in and savor global flavors like never before!

Sat 10 am – 8 pm, Sun 12 – 5 pm

List of Foods coming soon

Giant Puppet Friends are enchanted, larger-than-life parade puppets which you can pose with for memory-making photos.

Sat 11 am – 7 pm, Sun 1 -5pm


Global Exchange:  Experience the enriching diversity of short informative talks and interactive experiences by our own community members.

Sat 11 am – 5 pm, Sun 1-5pm

Roster of speakers and talks coming soon. 


Granpa Nunu: See that older gentleman on the bench over there? That’s Grandpa Nunu. If you go up to him and say, “Hi, Grandpa Nunu,” he’ll talk with you as though you’re a member of the family. You can talk about anything you like. What you say may be fact or fiction. It doesn’t matter.

https://interactiveplaylab.com/projects/grandpa-nunu-landing-page/

Sat 11 am – 5 pm, Sun 1-5pm

 

Haiku: The competition is on for “less is more” as poets compete to evoke a feeling using three lines of “five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables”. The constraints of the form squeeze out extra creativity.

Sat 2pm


International Marketplace: Dive into the bustling bazaar at FusionFest’s International Marketplace. Explore and shop global crafts and unique souvenirs from around the world!

Sat 11 am – 7 pm, Sun 1-5 pm

List of vendors coming soon

 

Kaleidoscope – Experience the Wonders of Creative Collaboration: FusionFest’s most captivating show, curated and produced by CeCe Teneal. This awe-inspiring piece is at the heart of FusionFest’s vision, fostering a space where artists from diverse cultures come together to create a harmonious celebration of unity.

Sat 7:15 pm

 
Kid’s Global Village allows kids to navigate through cardboard kid-sized “homes and buildings” from around the world, designed and built by the Young Architects Forum.

Sat 11 am – 7 pm, Sun 1 -5pm

 
Multicultural Choir Concert Closing the festival Sunday, the choir, singing songs of joy and hope, will be led by Grammy-Award winning conductor Jeffery Redding

Sunday, 5pm

 

Multicultural Faith Celebration; Local faith leaders representing different approaches to the divine, in partnership, will host a joint service with the Interfaith Council

Sunday 12 noon

 

 

Opening Spectacle & FusionFest Citizenship Ceremony – Witness a historic moment at FusionFest’s Citizenship Ceremony! Join us at the start of the festival to celebrate as nearly two dozen individuals take their oath, in an inspiring collaboration with the USCIS

Sat 10am

 

Scavenger Hunt & Prize Booth: Embark on a thrilling scavenger hunt at FusionFest and uncover hidden treasures! Dive into the festival’s wonders and finish your adventure at the Prize Booth for enticing rewards. Ready, set, explore!

Sat 11 am – 8 pm, Sun 1 – 5pm

 

Share Your Story Booth: Step up to FusionFest’s Share Your Story Booth and let your voice be heard! Dive into an interactive experience and share your unique cultural journey with us. Don’t just attend; tell your tale and it will be archived at the Orange County Regional History Center!

Sat 11 am – 5 pm, Sun1-5pm

 

Storytelling: Let these talented storytellers take you to places you might not know, culturally and emotionally.

Sat 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 5:30 and 6:15 pm

Complete schedule of stories and storytellers coming soon.

 

Teen Poetry Showcase: Who says kids don’t have something to say?  Listen to these creative kids passionately pouring out their own poetry.

Various times on Saturday

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STELLA ARBELAEZ

Heritage: Colombia

 

Coming from a well-educated family and a good elementary education in Bogotá, Colombia, where she was considered “too energetic,” Stella’s family sent her, and her mother to the US to better afford higher education for all her siblings. She came to Queens, NY, where an aunt owned a gas station. During her high School years, although she was not fluent in English, she was accepted into an arts high school.  After completing a BFA in Fine Arts Illustration, she continued with art classes and worked in the design field. That eventually led to a position with Walt Disney Animation in Orlando.

 

Her family suffered a number of tragedies – her father was killed in Colombia, her mother was killed in the US, her sister was dying of cancer.

 

Through the Disney connection she met a Californian and moved there to get married. After the birth of her daughter, she pursued a degree in early childhood education and devoted her life to her family. Her husband and his friends did not speak Spanish. She was not allowed to speak Spanish at the dinner table, and gradually lost touch with her Colombian heritage. She became a surprisingly “well- adapted” exotic person, rather than a true representation of her culture. An annual trip to a Colombian restaurant for her birthday and trips to visit her relatives in South Florida were the sole ties to Colombian culture.

 

While visiting her extended family in Florida, her marriage ended traumatically. This sent her into a couple of years of dark depression and self-condemnation. For her 48th birthday, she joined a Meet-Up group for a 4-day hike to the Appalachian Trail. “With every step I took”, she recalls, “I felt more alive. I felt the blood rush to my legs and my heart pumping to get me through the next mile.” Hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail in 2020, while reflecting on the person she had been, the person she now was, and the person she still wanted to be, led her back to art. Her mantra became, “Nature heals.”

Also, visiting her extended family in South Florida, she felt enveloped by the love and warmth of her childhood in Colombia with dance parties where they would dance salsa, merengue, and cumbia until the wee hours of the night, reveling in their festive traditions. Her little dog, Bobo, is a faithful companion.

MICHEAL ELLIOTT

Hi there, I am a writer, director & cinematographer local to the St.Pete area. I have worked on short films, commercials, and a couple of feature films, mainly in the camera or lighting department. I have also worked on several passion projects like “The Beat Within,” which was a short documentary following a women-led drum circle in Dunedin. I was an editor for a few years prior to trying my hand at shooting, so I shoot with the edit in mind. I am a South African-born immigrant who moved to the United States to study business management but fell in love with filmmaking and telling stories after being here for a few years. My direction changed from economics to making movies and telling stories. I believe documentary work is vital and important in current media and entertainment, especially to tell the stories of those who do not have a voice and are under represented. I would love to participate in your event and look forward to the challenge and excitement!