Location
Cultural Fusion Fest 2025
Cultural Fusion Fest 2025
Cultural Fusion Fest Welcomes Seasonal Workers and Year-Round Residents
Bar Harbor, ME. Mount Desert Island’s tourist economy owes an incredible debt to the hundreds of seasonal workers who come for the summer to work in hotels, restaurants, and other venues. The majority of these workers are people of color who work on Mount Desert Island (MDI) seasonally to support their children and families in their home countries. They are an essential part of the MDI economy, yet they may be virtually invisible to the year-round community, working long hours and living in employee housing or lodging.
A group of nonprofits and former seasonal workers who have made MDI their home have come together to plan the Cultural Fusion Fest, a free, family-friendly event to celebrate diversity and inclusion, welcome seasonal workers to MDI for the 2024 season, provide connections to community resources, and offer opportunities for cultural exchange.
The Cultural Fusion Fest will take place on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 4:00-7:30 p.m. at the YWCA, located at 36 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME. A group of nonprofits and former seasonal workers who have made MDI their home have come together to plan the second annual Cultural Fusion Fest, a free, family-friendly event to celebrate diversity and inclusion, welcome seasonal workers to MDI for the 2025 season, provide connections to community resources, and offer opportunities for cultural exchange. Last year’s event was extremely successful, with over 300 attendees representing both seasonal and year-round residents
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! The event is designed to be a cultural exchange, primarily focusing on Caribbean and Latin American cultures this year. It will feature live music from Stream Reggae, a Maine-based Reggae band composed of members from Dominica and Jamaica, and DJ Timeless who will put on a Latin dance party.
The event will also feature information tables with area nonprofits and businesses offering resources of use to seasonal workers who are new to the community. These resources will help connect workers with transportation, food access, health resources, and more. New this year, guests will have the opportunity to play or learn to play Dominoes and other popular Caribbean games.
Community donations are gratefully accepted at bit.ly/SupportCulturalFusionFest. For more information on the event or to discuss other ways to contribute, please reach out to Healthy Acadia at [email protected] or by calling 207-667-7171.
Website: https://healthyacadia.org/calendar/cultural-fusion-fest
About Stream Reggae
Stream Reggae is Maine’s premier reggae band offering 100% authentic reggae music from the heart and soul of the Caribbean. Listen to the band perform their energetic reggae/dancehall music local nightclubs and festivals, cruises and colleges in Maine and all over the US. The band has opened concerts for many famous artistes such as Sugar Minot, Third World and Burning Spear on several tours. In 2018 they released their 4th original studio album titled “Bounce to the Rhythm”. They have released numerous hit songs such as “I like It”, “Gimme The Weed” and “Move Along” that always get the fans going into a dancing frenzy whenever and wherever they play.
