Try new tastes at the Orange County event
By Davidson Taylor
The 24th Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities (ZORA! Festival 2013), which runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 3, in Eatonville, is getting in on the food truck craze! The ZORA! Food Trucks Stop, co-sponsored by Food Truck Crazy, Inc., is a new and exciting addition to ZORA! Festival.
These gourmet food trucks will be serving everything from your favorite festival foods to Asian Cuisine, Lobster Rolls and everything in between.
Among the food trucks signed up for the festival are VIP Concessions, BBQ City Grill, Unique Cuisines, Claw Daddy’s Lobster Rover, Snoball Delights, Sabai Sabai Mobile Thai, Linda’s Concessions, Cakes, Bakes & More, Fred & Tina’s Diner, One Love, On Fire BBQ, Café Heavenly, Biker George’s Gourmet Grub, and Regine’s Food & Catering.
“It’s a chance to expand your palette,” explained N.Y. Nathiri director of multidisciplinary programming for Preserve Eatonville Community, the nonprofit historic preservation group that organizes ZORA! Festival.
The multi-day, multi-disciplinary event celebrates the life and work of 20th century writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, her hometown, Eatonville, the nation’s oldest incorporated African American municipality, and the cultural contributions people of African ancestry have made to the United States and the world. Activities include live concerts, educational seminars, heritage tours, the HATitude Brunch and an Outdoor Festival of the Arts.
In addition to the healthy food offerings at the ZORA! Food Trucks Stop, there will be a “Fabulous Foods Demonstrations” by Celebrity Chef Marvin Woods, who hosted “Home Plate” for four seasons on Turner South and appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and TVOne’s “My Momma Throws Down.”
Attracting tens of thousands of locals and tourists to Orange County, ZORA! Festival, presents an impressive roster of arts, humanities and cultural programming including the transmedia art project “Question Bridge: Black Males,” at the Zora Neale Hurston Museum of Fine Arts, the screening of the independent film, “We Still Live Here – As Nutayunean,” written and produced by Native American Anne Makepeace, public talks, panel discussions, workshops and concerts.
It culminates with the three-day weekend Outdoor Festival of the Arts, featuring children’s activities, including the ZORA! Literacy Initiative; an African Diaspora Pavilion; Guest Artist-in-Residence Charles Bibbs; Center Stage featuring local, regional and international acts; an International Marketplace; a Health Village and much more. Admission to the Outdoor Festival of the Arts, Feb. 1-3, is free for ages 17 and younger. Adults will be able to enter the Outdoor Festival of the Arts with a cash donation.
For additional information on ZORA! Festival 2013 events visit zorafestival.org or call 407-647-3307.
