EATONVILLE, Fla. — It’s hard to talk about Eatonville without talking about one of its most famous residents: Zora Neale Hurston. 

“High, high quality arts, culture, heritage, literature, that is respected worldwide because of the literary icon Zora Neale Hurston,” said  N.Y. Nathiri, executive Ddrector of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community. 

Hurston’s hometown celebrates her each year with the Zora Neale Hurston festival. 

“The Zora Festival has become a national, international fixture that really makes Eatonville people very proud,” Nathiri said.

The festival opens Saturday with an outdoor weekend festival, followed by economic and education forums, a cultural town hall and a masquerade.

But coincidentally, the Florida Department of Transportation is closing two exits near Eatonville just before the event: the entrance ramp onto I-4 West from Lee Road, and the exit ramp onto Fairbanks Avenue from westbound I-4. 

But Nathiri isn't worried.

“That really should have no impact on us,” she said.

She says there’s plenty of other ways for people coming from all directions in Central Florida to get to their premier event. 

“Via John Young Parkway, via 17-92, coming up even from Orlando, or by State Road 436, or 434,” Nathiri said.

She says people will find a way, because this year’s festival is special. Since March 2019, the Zora Neale Hurston Museum  of Art has been closed. To kick off the festival Saturday, they reopen. 

“This is a big deal for us, to reopen the museum, absolutely and you know we’re excited!” Nathiri said.

The reopening goes from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.