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Visit the Haiti: Garden of Many Colors Exhibit at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Charles Stovall

by , Public Relations Manager

Well, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, presented by HGTV, is in full bloom! And throughout the festival, we at the Disney Parks Blog will be bringing to your attention to some of the exciting new things for 2012.

Haiti: Garden of Many Colors at Epcot

One of the great horticulture additions this year is called Haiti: Garden of Many Colors. Sponsored by Haiti Originale, the spectacular garden exhibit showcases signature plants, flowers and crops of Haiti and offers information on the cultural heritage, sustainable art and artifacts of the beautiful island.

Sugar cane, mustard, thyme and curly leaf parsley are bounty from the Creole Garden. Guests can also find information on Recyclable Art, Haitian Arts and Crafts, Art in Motion and the Art of Haitian music; and they can purchase Haitian coffee (a major industry in Haiti) and crafts made by Haitian artists.

Haiti: Garden of Many Colors at Epcot Haiti: Garden of Many Colors at Epcot The Creole Garden
Coffee Plants in the Creole Garden Sugar Cane in the Creole Garden Tropical Hibiscus in the Creole Garden
Ornamental Sweet Potatoes in the Creole Garden Basil in the Creole Garden Mustard Plants Grown in the Creole Garden

Located between the Germany Pavilion and the African Outpost in World Showcase at Epcot, the exhibit features a refreshment stand called Bwason Lakay, meaning “Haitian Refreshments” in Haitian Creole, which offers island libations – in both adult and non-alcoholic versions. And speaking of color, the Art in Motion storyboard gives insight into Haiti’s colorful tap-tap buses.

Haiti Originale was formed to help Haitians help themselves by supporting sustainable economic and social development through the promotion of quality Haitian-made products within Haiti and around the world. Their cause mark is “par Haiti – pour Haiti,” which means “from Haiti – for Haiti.”

Organizers of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival have told us that the garden has been a huge success – both with our guests and our cast. At Walt Disney World Resort, we have a large population of cast from Haiti and that speak Haitian-Creole as a second language.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, presented by HGTV, runs until May 20. For more information on the festival, you can check out disneyworld.com/flower and continue to check back here for more updates.

Destinations: Walt Disney World Resort

Topics: Special Events

Comments

  • I think that the people from Haiti Original should be commended for helping thousands of Epcot visitors understand that Haiti is not just a barren wasteland of starvation and hopeless poverty, but a beautiful country
    full of vibrant people who can and do produce world class products. This opens the WDW visitors eyes to
    a taste of the beautiful, vibrant always positive ” chin up” culture that I have grown to love in Haiti.

    I truly hope that the WDW visitor walks away from ” The Garden ” exhibit as my friends did, with a whole new take on Haiti, eager to not only buy Haitan coffee and rum, but also eager to explore investment opportunities
    for agricultural and manufacturing opportunities in Haiti.

    A fabulous effort!

    CHEERS!

  • What a great addition. I love to see plants that you don’t always see in the states (not being between the tropics). My kids’ eyes open a little larger when they see a plant form of some of their favorite foods.

    Love the Haiti Originale story. Always a new learning moment for the kids at WDW.

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