Immokalee farmworkers and others championing causes to end the abuses farmworkers have suffered in the fields carried their message of resistance and hope across the state to Palm Beach this weekend.
Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveil their giant puppet "Esperanza" at Farmworker Freedom Festival
The first-ever Farmworker Freedom Festival began Friday and continues through Sunday celebrating farmworker culture as well as the gains of the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers Fair Food program.
MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The event Saturday will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bradley Park on the island of Palm Beach. There will be music, theater and art.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the celebration will move to a small park on North County Road and Tangier Ave.
A delegation of faith leaders and farmworkers will gather there to deliver a message of hope for progress. The park is across the street from ocean-front home of the chairman of Wendy’s Corporation, Nelson Peltz. Wendy's has refused to join other fast-food gains by agreeing to participate in the Fair Food Program.
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Marley Monticello, works to get the puppet ready. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Alondra Martinez, FGCU student from Immokalee, helped prepare the park for this weekend’s festival. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Musicians played songs as they waited to march. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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A crew walks with the puppet. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Marley Monticello, took a second and admired the puppet after she got it all put together. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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A farmworker carries the puppet on his back while walking on stilts. The puppet was designed to be interactive. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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An interactive display of the farmworker museum. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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A pyramid of tomato buckets decorate the lawn. Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled their giant puppet for their first-ever at the Farmworker Freedom Festival in West Palm Beach. The festival is being held this weekend, March 8th through the tenth, 2024, to celebrate human rights gains in the Fair Food Program. They plan to call on corporate holdout Wendy’s to join. The giant puppet, Esperanza, (means Hope in Spanish), joined the festival goers before they headed out on their march through downtown West Palm Beach, Friday afternoon.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
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