Afro Food Fest Orlando Brings Food, Music and Jollof to Festival Park

Food, music, fashion, cultural performances and a $1,000 jollof rice showdown are coming to Orlando Festival Park on Saturday, September 5, as Three Masks celebrates 30 years of connecting Central Florida with African culture.

Orlando’s food scene is about to get another cultural celebration, and this one is putting the flavors of Africa and the African diaspora front and center.

The inaugural Afro Food Fest will take over Orlando Festival Park on Saturday, September 5, from noon to 7 p.m., bringing together food vendors, live entertainment, fashion, art, cultural performances and local businesses for a full afternoon of food and community. (City of Orlando)

The festival is being organized by Three Masks Inc., an Orlando organization that has spent three decades promoting African art, culture, travel, entrepreneurship and community engagement in Central Florida. The event also marks Three Masks’ 30th anniversary. (Three Masks)

And while the festival itself is new, one part of it already has a following.

There will be jollof.

And apparently, there will be a fight over whose jollof is best.

The Jollof Rice Competition Takes Center Stage

One of Afro Food Fest’s signature events will be the 4th Annual Jollof Rice Cook-Off Competition, where competing cooks will face a blind taste test for a $1,000 cash prize and the title of best jollof rice. (Three Masks)

If you are unfamiliar with jollof rice, this may be a good opportunity to fix that.

The West African dish typically combines rice with a deeply seasoned tomato-and-pepper base and various spices, with recipes differing significantly depending on the country, region and cook.

And those differences matter.

Ask people from Nigeria, Ghana or other parts of West Africa who makes the best jollof and what begins as a food discussion can become surprisingly competitive.

That friendly rivalry has helped make jollof one of the most recognizable dishes associated with West African cuisine.

At Afro Food Fest, attendees will be able to sample the competing versions while supplies last, according to the organizer. (Three Masks)

This Is About More Than One Dish

Despite the jollof competition getting much of the attention, organizers are presenting Afro Food Fest as a broader celebration of the African diaspora.

That includes African cultures as well as Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino and other traditions influenced by African heritage. (Three Masks)

Visitors can expect food and craft vendors alongside cultural performances, fashion, art and live entertainment.

That broader approach is important because there really isn’t one thing called “African food.”

Africa contains dozens of countries and hundreds of cultural and culinary traditions, while generations of migration have carried those influences throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the United States.

A festival like this gives Orlando residents an opportunity to experience at least a small piece of that diversity in one place.

Orlando’s Food Scene Keeps Becoming More International

The arrival of Afro Food Fest also reflects something increasingly noticeable about Greater Orlando.

Our food scene is becoming extraordinarily diverse.

It isn’t difficult to find excellent Vietnamese food around Mills 50, Puerto Rican and Caribbean restaurants throughout Central Florida, Brazilian restaurants around the tourism district, Middle Eastern restaurants, Indian cuisine, Korean barbecue, Filipino food and countless combinations in between.

African cuisine has been somewhat less visible in Orlando’s mainstream restaurant scene.

Festival organizer Timothy Adebule has said that African food remains underrepresented locally, with many families preparing traditional dishes at home rather than encountering them regularly in restaurants. (Hoodline)

That gives Afro Food Fest an opportunity to introduce some Central Florida residents to foods they may not have tried before.

And that is one of the best things a local food festival can accomplish.

You don’t have to book a flight.

You don’t need to understand the cuisine beforehand.

You simply show up hungry and try something.

Three Masks Has Been Doing This for 30 Years

The festival is also something of a milestone for its organizer.

Three Masks has operated in Orlando for approximately 30 years, connecting Central Florida with African culture through art, cultural events, entrepreneurship, travel and community activities. (Three Masks)

Its Orlando operation includes an African gift shop, gallery and event venue on West Colonial Drive.

Afro Food Fest represents what the organization describes as its largest cultural celebration yet.

That makes the festival more than a one-off food event.

It is also a celebration of an organization that has spent decades building cultural connections within the Orlando community.

A Good Addition to Orlando’s Festival Calendar

One thing we have been noticing while expanding Lifehappens2us coverage of Greater Orlando is just how many community festivals happen throughout the year.

Food is often the easiest gateway into another culture.

You may not know the music.

You may not understand the traditional clothing.

You may know very little about the history.

But almost everyone understands sitting down with something good to eat.

From there, curiosity tends to take over.

What is this dish?

Where did it originate?

What spices are in it?

Why does another country prepare it differently?

Food turns culture into something people can experience instead of merely read about.

That makes Afro Food Fest a welcome addition to Orlando’s increasingly diverse calendar of neighborhood and cultural events.

It’s Family-Friendly

Organizers describe Afro Food Fest as an all-ages event, with children admitted free. General admission includes the cultural performances as well as jollof samples while supplies last. (Three Masks)

Food and merchandise from individual vendors will be available separately.

The organizer’s website currently advertises $15 advance adult admission and $25 admission at the gate. Because its published FAQ contains differing age cutoffs for children’s admission, families should check the current ticket page before purchasing. (Three Masks)

Outside food and drinks are not permitted, and the organizers say vendors will accept both cash and electronic payments. There will not be an ATM on site. Service animals are permitted, but pets are not. (Three Masks)

Where Is Afro Food Fest?

The festival will be held at:

Orlando Festival Park
2911 E. Robinson Street
Orlando, FL 32803

The event runs from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 5. The City of Orlando has also added the festival to its official events calendar. (City of Orlando)

View the City of Orlando event listing

Afro Food Fest tickets and event information

Why Events Like This Are Good for Orlando

Large attractions will always dominate Orlando’s international identity.

But festivals like this tell us much more about the community that actually lives here.

Greater Orlando is increasingly multicultural, and local events give those communities opportunities to introduce their food, art, music and traditions to neighbors who might otherwise never encounter them.

They also create opportunities for small businesses and independent food vendors to reach new customers.

Maybe you arrive because you want to see who wins the jollof competition.

Maybe you discover a restaurant you didn’t know existed.

Maybe your children hear music they haven’t heard before.

Maybe you simply spend a few hours outside eating something good.

None of that requires a roller coaster or a theme-park ticket.

It is another reminder that some of the most interesting things happening in Orlando can be found by simply paying attention to the people who live here.

And on September 5, a good place to start might be with a plate of jollof rice.