Florida Tech Seeking Vendors, Performers for International Festival in February
Deadline for Entertainers to Apply
Extended to Friday, Jan. 20
MELBOURNE, FLA. — Performers and vendors representing the diverse global community at Florida Institute of Technology and beyond are encouraged to apply to participate in the university’s 11th Annual International Festival set for Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Held from noon to 5 p.m. on Panther Plaza on the Florida Tech campus in Melbourne, the festival offers food and drink, unique merchandise, live entertainment and information-filled display booths representing nations and cultures from around the world.
The application deadline is Jan. 13, 2017, for food and retail vendors and Jan. 20 for cultural entertainers and displays/booths.
Participants last year included performances by Latin American, African, Caribbean, Sri Lankan and Omani student associations, as well as cultural displays from those and the Chinese, Muslim and Taiwanese student associations, the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, the International Student Service Organization, the Institute for Cross Cultural Management and others.
Community groups that participated included Voice Indonesia in Florida, Space Coast Hula School, L’Ahavat Tzion, St. Joseph’s Catholic School Spanish Club, Capoeira Karkara Melbourne, Mariposa Monarca and Halau Hula ‘O Kilakilapilialohaikapu’uwai, formerly known as the Space Coast Hula School.
For the 2017 event, organizers are looking for:
- Cultural performers
- Cultural displays
- Cultural food vendors
- Cultural retail goods vendors
Special consideration will be given to vendors selling cultural/folkloric wares, and to not-for-profit service organizations. Only handmade and homemade crafts may be offered for sale at the event.
Also needed are high school students willing to volunteer for up to 10 hours.
In addition to the live events, the festival will feature ethnic cuisine from area restaurants available for purchase.
Children’s activities, including face painting, a bounce house, balloon folders and carnival games, will be offered, as will the Passport to the World program, where children are instructed to visit five cultural displays to get their “passports” stamped. Once they return with five stamps, they are eligible for a prize.
Sponsors of the 11th Annual International Festival are the Florida Tech Office of International Student & Scholar Services, Florida Tech Office of Business and Retail Operations, and WFIT.
For more information and vendor applications, visit www.fit.edu/isss/international-fest.php, call 321-674-8053 or email isss@fit.edu.
###
