Diaspora Planning September 2020 Multicultural Festival

The Diaspora Multicultural Society is making preparations for its 3rd Annual Multicultural Festival this September, continuing its early autumn, tradition with new social distancing guidelines.

The Festival is planned for Saturday, September 12, 2020 on the grounds of the Society’s building on John Street.

The Festival has been planned to be from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

The Society has said that the family-friendly event will be, “featuring food, vendors, live performances, and much more.”

The organization has said that, “The festival further serves Diaspora’s mission of bringing together a diverse crowd to commingle and build community. Attendees will get to celebrate, participate in, and experience our community’s rich diversity.”

“In 2018 and 2019,” Diaspora says, “we had hundreds of people visit us for our Annual Multicultural Festival. The family-oriented event has featured musicians and performers from many genres and cultures, including a visit from Destiny Africa – a Ugandan children’s choir.” The organization says that the details of this years event are still taking shape.

Because of COVID-19, the organization says that,

The Diaspora Multicultural Festival 2020 will be following state guidelines for an outdoor event, which are currently similar to outdoor dining at restaurants. The following are included considering current guidelines:

• We will take temperatures
• We will have no more than 100 people at a time on the premises
• We are limiting the number of vendors
• We will position vendor spaces and outdoor tables for guests at least 6 feet apart
• We will mark 6ft distance from booths for guests to wait behind
• Guests will be asked to wear masks while waiting and interacting with vendors, however, they will not have to wear them while sitting at tables set up for eating and watching performances

Diaspora says that it is seeking sponsors for the event, saying that, “We are run by volunteers, and community oriented. All proceeds go to our operations and back into the community.”

Diaspora has a sponsorship form online at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BbX61mgdTZMplKsEh1Z0T5T0SuE9LldpkKQvf97EcXM/edit?usp=sharing.

Saying that they are due by August 21, 2020, “to be listed as a sponsor on the t-shirts, banner, and any other qualifying advertisements that have not run before this date,” Diaspora says sponsorships are at several levels,

Platinum Sponsor: $1000 and above

• Business name will be listed on event t-shirts
• Business name featured in all media efforts and press releases (including radio, print, and social media)
• Business name featured on all event-day materials, brochures, posters, and our website
• Business name on banner on stage at the festival

Gold Sponsor: $500

• Business name will be listed on event t-shirts
• Business name featured in all media efforts and press releases (including radio, print, and social media)
• Business name featured on all event-day materials, brochures, posters, and our website
• Business name on banner on stage at the festival

Silver Sponsor: $100

• Business name featured in all print media efforts and press releases (including social media)
• Business name featured on all event-day materials, brochures, posters, and our website

Friend: $50

• Business name featured in all print media efforts and press releases (including social media)

Diaspora is also seeking donations as part of its charitable work, saying,

We have collected and shipped items and made donations to efforts such as victims of Hurricane Maria, a volcano eruption in Guatemala, backpacks and school supplies for local students, and the recent earthquakes that devastated parts of Puerto Rico. We have collaborated with numerous local non-profit organizations on their efforts as well as provided space for community meetings and gatherings. Diaspora is a place for everyone, and we pride ourselves on our positive contributions to our community.

“This year, with the impact of COVID-19,” Diaspora says, “we want our 3rd Annual Multicultural Festival to further impact the community by giving education necessities to as many children as possible.” The organization says that,

We are accepting tax-deductible monetary donations as well as donations of items such as headphones, gift cards, art supplies, hand sanitizer, toiletries, masks, screen cleaners, and anything else that children can use whether in school or participating in distance learning.

The Diaspora Multicultural Society, Inc. is located at 90 John Street in New Britain’s East Side. Its email address is [email protected] and its phone number is (860) 223-8926.