The Romanian community in Fort Myers celebrated its signature Romanian Fall Festival over the weekend. There was a blend of authentic food, music, and dance, which brought a piece of Eastern Europe to Southwest Florida.
Folks from all over the country flocked to the Fort Myers Riverside Community Center seeking a sense of belonging. Festival-goer Angela Bodea expands:
"I traveled from Portland to be here. I have a friend in Tampa—I stopped there on Thursday, then drove here yesterday to be with them. We're not related, but we share a Romanian soul," Bodea says, explaining the roots of this close-knit community. The bonds date back decades, beginning when Romanians fled communism after its fall in 1989. As word spread about opportunities for settlement in Florida, the community flourished.
With American and Romanian flags waving side by side, this festival served as a cultural bridge. Church member Vicky Dumitru explains that the idea was to bring people together to celebrate a cherished fall tradition.
“Romania is a very agricultural country, and we always celebrate the fall, because in the fall, we have all the vegetables and fruits, and like we say, the more we have in the fall, the more is going to pass easier on the winter.”
She says food preparation for the festival took three days.
Dumitru noticed me glancing at the Orthodox monk draped in a black frock standing across from the alcohol sales.
“In our religion, it's not very strict. So, we drink wine, we drink beer, we drink some alcohol, homemade which is on the table over there. And we celebrate. When we celebrate, we like to have good time.”
Still wondering if this was more a religious or a cultural affair, I decided to get the scoop from the man himself – the Rev Bogdan, from Saint Anthony the Great Romanian Orthodox Church.
“We want to show to everybody the Romanian food, the Romanian traditional, Romanian costume. It will be amazing. Yeah, will be amazing. You can stay with us, and you will see. Let's start the music.”
And we did see. As the sun set, families gathered around tables filled with an abundance of poultry — mostly mititei, a marinated grilled meat roll made of beef, lamb, pork and sausage. Children ran between dancers in traditional white cloth dresses with embroidered red roses. Turns out, when Romanians throw their first festival in Southwest Florida, they don't just bring a taste of home — they bring the whole kitchen and dance floor.
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