Poet Activist Sonia Sanchez Delivers Keynote Address and Recording Artist and Cultural Commentator, David Banner Is "In Conversation" During ZORA! Festival 2018
Eatonville and Orlando, Fla. (PRWEB) January 03, 2018 -- The 29th Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities (ZORA! Festival), takes place January 20- 28. ZORA! Festival is a multi-day, multi-disciplinary event that celebrates the life and work of 20th Century Renaissance woman Zora Neale Hurston; her hometown, Eatonville and the cultural contributions people of African ancestry have made to the United States and the world.
“Hurston, who is revered for her timeless body of work and iconic stature, remains one of the most read writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Her life and legacy continue to fascinate festival loyalists worldwide. As festival producers, we at the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C.) are proud that ZORA! Festival has become nationally recognized as a cultural heritage tourism model," stated N. Y. Nathiri, Executive Director of the P.E.C.
ZORA! Festival Highlights
Festival headliners include distinguished elders, fine artists and legendary entertainers. Festival producers have put together a stellar amalgam of educational programming, cultural presentations, artists' talks, expert workshops, heritage musical concerts, themed parties and special events. Featured guests include poet activist Sonia Sanchez, co-authors Sen. Bob Graham and Chris Hand, cultural commentator David Banner, and national entertainment favorites The ZAPP Band and the Motown "Tribute" Review Show.
DAY 1
Saturday, January 20
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Exhibition: Retrospective—The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community: The Early Years, 1987 – 1997
Opening Reception & Gallery Talk
Free and open to the public
Focus: A multi-media presentation drawn from the organization’s Archives
Location: Zora Neale Hurston™ National Museum of Fine Arts (The Hurston™) • 227 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville 32751
DAY 2
Sunday, January 21
4:00 – 5:30 PM
Back Story of the ZORA! Education Program (ZEP) Initiative: The Power of Collaboration
Free and open to the public
Focus: A “nerds-approach” to exploring just how the ZORA! Festival 2018, K12 Kids programming was developed
Location: Zora Neale Hurston™ National Museum of Fine Arts (The Hurston™) • 227 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville 32751
DAY 3
Monday, January 22
7:00 – 8:30 PM
An Eatonville Remembrance: 1987 – 1994
Free and open to the public
Focus: East Kennedy Boulevard Widening Opposition Advocate to Programs Innovator: The P.E.C. Evolution
Location: St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church • 412 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville 32751
DAY 4
Tuesday, January 23
Unscheduled
Day 5
Wednesday, January 24
ZORA! Festival at the University of Central Florida
7:00 – 8:30 PM
Location: University of Central Florida Library on the Main Campus • 4000 Central Florida Boulevard Orlando, FL • 32816
DAY 6
Thursday, January 25
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Communities Conference II: Civic Conversations Continue
Paid registration required. Special reduced rates for Students and Senior Citizens (55+) with appropriate I.D.
Featuring Keynote Address by , Poet – Activist Sonia Sanchez, 9:15 AM, Bush Auditorium, Rollins College
Conference Focus: A series of sessions exploring issues of cultural arts, education, personal finance, community revitalization and more
Location: Rollins College Campus • 1000 Holt Avenue • Winter Park 32789
DAY 7
Friday, January 26
8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Communities Conference II: Civic Conversations Continue (continued)
Paid registration required. Special reduced rates for Students and Senior Citizens (55+) with appropriate I.D.
Focus: Communities Conversations conclude & humanities panels convene.
Location: Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church • 412 East Kennedy Boulevard • Eatonville 32751
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Outdoor Festival of the Arts
Free and open to the public
Focus: Vendors’ booths, The Hurston Museum, International Food Court, Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion and More
Location: The front lawn of the Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus • 100 East Kennedy Boulevard • Eatonville 32751
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
ZORA! Education Day (ZED)
Free and open to the public
Focus: An outdoor classroom for K12 kids, including a make and take tent, performance and STEM demonstrations
Location 1: Outdoor Festival of the Arts in Eatonville
Location 2: ZORA! STEM Conference for Middle School Students • Orlando Technical College • 2900 W Oak Ridge Road • Orlando 32809
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Reception: Hosted by Orlando Commissioner Samuel B.Ings
Location: Orlando City Hall • 400 South Orange Avenue • Orlando 32801
8:00 – 11:30 PM
Cuttin’ the Rug: ZORA! Line Dance Showcase
Paid admission required
Focus: Featuring nationally known Producer & MC Jero Green and some of the finest performers
Location: Winter Park Civic Center • 1050 West Morse Boulevard • Winter Park 32789
DAY 8
Saturday, January 27
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
HATitude Party & Lunch
Paid admission required
Focus: Good fellowship, good fun and good food . . . Remember to wear “Your Sunday Best”
Location: Winter Park Civic Center • 1050 West Morse Boulevard • Winter Park 32789
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Outdoor Festival of the Arts
Free to children and youth currently enrolled in school and adults pay $10 at the gate
Focus: Vendors’ booths, The Hurston Museum, International Food Court, Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion and more
Location: Zora’s Village, The front lawn of the Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus
100 East Kennedy Boulevard • Eatonville 32751
1:00 – 6:00 PM
Concert Stage
Paid admission required
Featuring: The Zapp Band
Location: Wymore Athletic Field • Eatonville 32751
8:00 – 11:00 PM
An Evening with David Banner
Paid admission required
Focus: An intimate affair featuring the fusion of Jazz, Hip-Hop & Soul by a live band, and culminating with an up-close and personal chat with the Grammy Award-winning music producer, recording artist, philanthropist, actor, and activist; a favorite for his incisive cultural commentary.
Location: UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Darden Auditorium • 9907 Universal Boulevard • Orlando 32819
DAY 9
Sunday, January 28
8:30 – 9:45 AM
Traditional Worship Service (Ecumenical)
Focus: To celebrate the role of the Christian Religion in Historic Eatonville
Location: St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church (Congregation established before the Town’s Incorporation)
549 East Kennedy Boulevard • Eatonville 32751
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Outdoor Festival of the Arts
Free to children and youth currently enrolled in school and adults pay $10 at the gate
Focus: International Marketplace, Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion, The Hurston Museum, Fine Arts, Community Stage and more
Location: Zora’s Village. The front lawn of the Historic Robert Hungerford High School Campus
100 East Kennedy Boulevard • Eatonville 32751
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Concert Stage
Paid admission required
Featuring: The National Motown Review
Location: Wymore Athletic Field • Eatonville 32751
ZORA! Festival 2018 is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program with additional underwriting being provided by the University of Central Florida - Office of the President, Office of the Provost, and by the College of Arts & Humanities, the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies; Orlando Utilities Commission, Culture Builds Florida, Rollins College, and Duke Energy.
For additional information on ZORA! Festival 2018 events visit http://www.zorafestival.org .
About the Association to Preservation the Eatonville Community, (P.EC.) The mission of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. is to enhance the resources of Eatonville, Florida known popularly as "the oldest incorporated African American municipality in the United States" and the hometown of writer, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston; to educate the public about Eatonville's historic and cultural significance; and to use the community's heritage and cultural vibrancy for its economic development.
Terri Vismale-Morris, Terri Vismale-Morris 1, +1 (404) 721-7130, [email protected]
Share this article