BSU celebrates Culture Fest At the Bay with food, mocktails and a parade

Contributing Writer | Hennessy Sepulveda

Photographer | Andres Rivera

Island vibes were rolled out with carnival-themed entertainment and island-style food and beverages on Feb. 10 at the Biscayne Bay Campus for this year’s FIU Culture Fest. 

The outdoor block-partyesque event, hosted by Student Programming and Black Student Union, had live music and performances, catering, and hand-mixed beverages for guests to enjoy and indulge.

The party began at 7:00 pm with music from guest DJ Osocity. He is no stranger to entertaining the FIU student body, with one of his last FIU events being the Wildn’ Out comedy show last month. Carnival dancers and stilt walkers were accompanied by Caribbean beats as students, staff, and family members were drawn in to dance along.

“Our main objective this black history month is to celebrate the African diaspora,” said Ashley Perez, the director of programming for the Black Student Union.

This event specifically highlighted the Afro-Caribbean culture that is shared among a large portion of the student body at FIU.

The Black Student Union reached out to students to ensure they deliver the programming that the community wants. Six months of planning were done in preparation for Culture Fest and the rest of the lineup of events for Black History Month.

“We want to celebrate our history, even the hard parts that aren’t discussed in textbooks while also bringing to light our accomplishments,” said Perez.

Members of the BSU gather for a celebration photo after months of planning.

3 Island G’s treats a long line of guests with their ultra-popular food. 

The food vendor of the night, 3 Island G’s mobile cuisine was a smash hit with guests, as the truck stayed busy as guests lined up for its worthwhile food during most of the event.

They are a Black-owned business that specializes in smoked meat and American fusion dishes and has 25 years of culinary experience under its belt.

The Bartenders Guild has a blast quenching thirst with their hand-mixed beverages.

Also in the mix was The Bartender’s Guild of FIU as they brought their mixology prowess to Culture Fest. 

The bartenders were busy serving guests non-alcoholic Pina Coladas in proper island spirit, as well as their own “Panther Punch”: a delicious mix of pineapple, orange, and lime juice with cotton candy.

The night wrapped up with a large carnival parade as performers danced and marched around guests while playing instruments and performing parade theatrics as everyone joined the fun.

The event was successful in bridging the student body with Afro-Caribbean culture on a spectacular night.