Florida Tech Seeking Vendors, Performers for 2019 International Festival
Applications Due Dec. 14
for Entertainers, Booths
MELBOURNE, FLA. — Vendors and performers representing the diverse global community at Florida Tech and beyond are encouraged to apply to participate in the university’s 13th Annual International Festival happening Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019.
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.
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.
The application deadline is Dec. 14, 2018, for cultural entertainers and displays/booths, and Jan. 7, 2019, for food and retail vendors.
Also needed are high school students willing to volunteer for up to 10 hours of community service.
Participants last year included performances by student associations from Africa, the Caribbean, India, China and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Shik Shak Belly Dance Club and FIT Street Dance Club.
Cultural displays were presented from those groups as well as the Jordanian, State of Qatar, Egyptian Students, Brazil, Iraqi, Taiwanese, Libyan, Omani, Sri Lankan, Korean, and Chinese student associations, along with the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, the International Student Service Organization, the Institute for Cross Cultural Management, WFIT and others.
Community groups that participated included Voice Indonesia in Florida (VIDA), The Gathering Church, Seibukan Martial Arts, Toastmasters, Sons of Norway, Ancient Order of the Hiberians, Calvary Chapel’s Asian Ministry, St. Joseph’s Catholic School Spanish Club, Capoeira Karkara Melbourne, L’Ahavat Tzion Israeli Dancers, Space Coast Okinawa Performers, and Panama Suenos y Tradiciones Performers.
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 13th Annual International Festival are the Florida Tech Office of International Student & Scholar Services, Florida Tech Office of Business and Retail Operations, and WFIT 89.5 FM.
For more information and vendor applications, click here, call 321-674-8053 or email isss@fit.edu.
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