The third installment of Harvest Sarasota’s annual Diverse Fest turned out to be the organization’s biggest and most successful yet. The free event attracted roughly 1,500 community members of all ages on June 14 at the Harvest Sarasota/Harvest House campus.
Highlights included performances by popular regional reggae band Jah Movement, the Harvest Band, Dingbat Theatre, Azara Ballet, and all-female pop/country band Merge Eleven. Spotlight vendors – including Embracing Our Differences, Senior Friendship Centers, Project Pride SRQ, Free Mom Hugs, Dingbat Theatre, and many more – offered information and resources about programs and events. The food vendors, including Scurry’s Down Home Cooking, Leo’s Clean Kitchen and UaStar Island Juice & Peanuts, were bustling throughout the day.
“Now, more than ever, we believe that this event affirms the critical need to provide safe and welcoming spaces for people to come together and feel comfortable about being themselves,” said Harvest Sarasota CEO (and guitar player for the Harvest Band) Dan Minor. “This reflects the culture on our campus – of steadfast inclusion and love – and it was beautiful to see the community share in that joy over the course of the day.”
Guests received a surprise when headlining act Jah Movement brought up spoken-word artist and traveling poet Whit the Poet to perform her original poem, “Today,” ending the event with the message to make every moment of every day count, to hug your loved ones, and make memories you want to last.
Diverse Fest was born out of a desire to unite communities during a time when social and political division was becoming more prevalent. The event was created to bring people together in the spirit of diversity and inclusion.
“We are committed to making Diverse Fest an ongoing, unforgettable event that showcases the power of inclusion and love while also featuring great music, performances, food and fun,” Minor said.
The presenting sponsor was Seacoast Bank. Visit harvestsarasota.com for more information.
Submitted by Sharon Kunkel
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Diverse Fest building a tradition of unity for The Harvest Sarasota
Reporting by Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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