BAR HARBOR — 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 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 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.
The Cultural Fusion Fest will take place on Thursday, May 22 from 4-7:30 p.m. at the YWCA, located at 36 Mt. Desert St.. 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.
Island Take Out and Pat’s Pizza, two Jamaican-owned businesses in Bar Harbor, will collaborate to prepare traditional Jamaican foods for the event. The event will also feature traditional Latin American food. All food will be free for attendees.
An overarching goal of this event is to help build a sense of belonging among seasonal workers who make MDI their home for a significant portion of the year, as well as to help bridge the gap between seasonal and year-round community members.
This event is being organized by Bar Harbor Food Pantry, Healthy Acadia, Island Take Out, Jackson Lab, Mano en Mano, Pat’s Pizza, Witham Family Hotels, and YWCA MDI. Sponsors include Cafe This Way, Cleary Law, Coffee Matter / Mother’s Kitchen, Friends of Acadia, Geddy’s, Geddy’s By the Sea, Geddy’s Down Under, Mount Desert Island Hospital, Nor’easter Pound & Market, Ocean Properties, Y&P Taxi Services and more. Fundraising is ongoing to cover the costs of the music and food for the event. 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. The group is deeply thankful for the community’s generous support.
Healthy Acadia serves as the fiscal sponsor for this collaborative event. Healthy Acadia is a 501(C)(3) community health organization building vibrant communities and making it easier for everyone to lead healthy lives throughout Washington and Hancock counties. For more information about Healthy Acadia’s health and wellness programs and services, visit https://www.healthyacadia.org.
