The Zora! Festival is an annual event to celebrate the work of writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. The nine-day event, beginning the last Saturday in January, is held every year since 1989 in Eatonville, Florida. The program also celebrates Hurston's hometown of Eatonville, the oldest incorporated African-American city in the United States, as well as the contributions of African American heritage to U.S. and world culture.
The festival is a citywide, multi-venue festival of the arts. Art installations, musical performances, poetry and book readings, seminars, lectures and exhibits of historical photographs are part of the program. A day-long culture tour includes stops at various cultural centers around the city, including the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education, the Audubon Center and the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum.
A two-day Street Festival of the Arts, held on the final weekend, features a youth talent competition, a Literacy Initiative that gives free books to children, food from all regions of Africa, Europe, Latin America and the U.S., and an international marketplace offering arts and crafts. Humanities Panels feature talks by scholars and authors who focus on various aspects of Afro-American history and contemporary culture. HATitude! is an elegant brunch and fashion show of designer millinery, and the unveiling of an exclusive Zora! collectible hat. The Zora! Gala is a formal, black-tie event held on the final Saturday, featuring an evening of culture, fine dining and celebrity guest from the world of entertainment. The 2008 gala featured Ms Ruby Dee.
Many events are free and open to the public. Prices for ticketed events vary. Multi-event packages offer reduced pricing. Further information is available from the Hurston Museum or the event sponsor, the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community.
