On Sept. 19, Tampa Bay will join the international community in honoring the resilience, courage and determination of refugees all over the world as part of National Welcoming Week. To celebrate the refugee journey to the United States, the Tampa Bay Area Refugee Task Force is hosting a FREE cultural festival on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the University of South Florida. The event celebrates the cultural diversity refugees bring to our area. In the past five years, over 11,000 refugees have resettled to the Tampa Bay area.
The National Welcoming Week Cultural Festival will include live music, dance performances, interactive educational and cultural tables, and a fashion show. The community is invited to attend and enjoy the music, free food, children’s activities, community resource tables and much more.
National Welcoming Week is a series of events held nationwide promoting unity and highlighting the contributions of immigrants and refugees to American communities. Earlier this month, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously for Hillsborough County to become an official Welcoming County. Hillsborough is the first community in the State of Florida that has officially committed to creating a welcoming refugee and immigrant-friendly environment for economic growth and cultural vitality.
The National Welcoming Week event is coordinated by the Tampa Bay Area Refugee Task Force, which helps refugees integrate, settle and prosper in their new communities. Some of the services available to refugees include adult education, employability status assistance, employment, childcare services, youth services and unaccompanied refugee minors.
WHO: Tampa Bay Area Refugee Task Force, Department of Children & Families (DCF),USF Honors College, Refugee and Immigrant Community
WHAT: Tampa Bay Refugee Welcoming Week Cultural Festival (FREE)
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
WHERE: University of South Florida Marshall Center Amphitheater, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa 33620