Diverse Fest a huge success for The Harvest Sarasota

The third installment of Harvest Sarasota’s annual Diverse Fest turned out to be the organization’s biggest and most successful yet. The event – which was free and open to the community – took place on June 14 on the Harvest Sarasota/Harvest House campus and drew approximately 1,500 community members of all ages.

Highlights included live 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, which including Scurry’s Down Home Cooking, Leo’s Clean Kitchen and UaStar Island Juice & Peanuts, were bustling throughout the day.

Guests were treated to an unexpected treat as 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 the memories you want to last. Organizers report that it was an amazing and inspiring way to bring the Diverse Fest to a close.

Diverse Fest was born out of a desire to unite communities during a time when social and political division was becoming more prevalent. Team members recognized the need not just to celebrate Pride Month but all marginalized groups. The event was created in order to bring people together in the spirit of diversity and inclusivity; the goal was to remind the wider community that it is our differences that make Sarasota beautiful. Harvest leadership saw and believed in that mission, and provided the space for it to come to life.

“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. 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,” said Harvest President | CEO – and guitar player for the Harvest Band – Dan Minor. “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.”

Presenting Sponsor was Seacoast Bank. Visit harvestsarasota.com for more information about upcoming programs and events.