Latest news with #FusionFest
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Fusion Fest Returns Saturday, Bringing Mediterranean Flavours and Festivities to Stouffville
● Stouffville Fusion Fest: Taste of the Mediterranean takes place Saturday, July 12, from noon to 11 p.m. in Memorial Park. ● The festival highlights the rich cultural traditions of the Mediterranean region. ● With free admission for all ages, the event features authentic cuisine, heritage performances, and a wide range of entertainment. ● More than 60 retail booths and over 35 food vendors will offer diverse shopping and dining experiences. ● A dedicated kids' zone will include inflatables, crafts, and interactive activities. ● Fusion Fest will also support the Jennifer Ashleigh Children's Charity, which assists low-income families of children facing serious medical crises. A full day of music, dance, and international cuisine is set to transform Memorial Park this weekend as the 2025 Stouffville Fusion Fest returns with a celebration of Mediterranean culture. Running Saturday, July 12, from noon to 11 p.m., the free event offers a mix of live performances, cultural displays, and culinary experiences designed to engage all ages. Organizers expect strong attendance, with more than 60 retail booths, over 35 food vendors, and 15 musical and dance acts scheduled throughout the day. Fusion Fest shines a spotlight on the food, music, and cultural traditions of countries along the Mediterranean coast. Guests can sample dishes such as souvlaki, gyros, spanakopita, and Italian veal sandwiches. A cannoli-eating contest, along with two rounds of feta and souvlaki competitions, adds an extra layer of food-centric fun. Featured performers include Joée, Claudio Santaluce, and Stavros Kanichis, who will bring their distinct Mediterranean styles to the stage. The entertainment lineup also features Greek and Armenian dance troupes, plus hands-on painting and craft workshops that offer attendees a chance to engage with the region's heritage. A complete entertainment schedule can be found on the event website . The festival is designed with families in mind. A dedicated kids' zone will provide inflatables, interactive games, and cultural activities throughout the day, ensuring younger visitors have plenty to enjoy. Linda Kalianteris, known as the Painting Greek, will also host a drop-in watercolour workshop open to all ages from 1 to 3 p.m. Fusion Fest also supports a charitable cause. This year's event benefits the Jennifer Ashleigh Children's Charity, which assists low-income families caring for children with serious medical conditions. The organization is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Admission to Fusion Fest is free, and attendees are welcome to drop in throughout the day. Memorial Park is located at 2 Park Dr., just steps from Main Street in the heart of downtown Stouffville. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New details emerging about Pittsburgh's Juneteenth celebration
11 Investigates has learned that the City of Pittsburgh is scaling back its Juneteenth celebration. It was just last year that the city pulled funding from a long-time promoter's popular festival and hired a marketing firm with ties to Mayor Ed Gainey to produce the first city-run event. The city still plans to hold a celebration this year, but the Department of Parks and Recreation is putting it together. And the one-day celebration will be the week before B. Marshall's popular Juneteenth Festival, which he's held for more than a decade. Marshall's celebration is the largest in the region. 11 Investigates has learned the city plans to hold a Juneteenth CommUnity Concert event at Allegheny Commons East Park on the North Side on June 14th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature musical performances, activities for children, vendors and a cookout. The city, this year, is declining to hire an event coordinator like they did for the first time last year. Instead, the city will rely on the Department of Parks and Recreation to organize the event. In a controversial move last year, Mayor Ed Gainey pulled city funds from long-time promoter B. Marshall. Mayor Gainey defended his decision at the time. 'We felt that at the end of the day we need to be more transparent,' said Mayor Gainey. Marshall fired back and said he felt betrayed by the city's first African American mayor. 'It's like a betrayal. It's like your brother doing something to sabotage you,' Marshall said. Instead, the city put it out for bid and awarded the $125,000 contract to Bounce Marketing, which had done work for the mayor before. At a news conference last year, the mayor introduced the owner of Bounce Marketing. She outlined her plans for the festival. 'We plan to bring the best in talent, art, fashion, food, music and dance right to the heart of downtown Pittsburgh,' Fantasy Zellars said. After public outcry, Pittsburgh city council reinstated Marshall's $125,000 in funding because it had already been promised to him. Marshall's three-day festival at Point State Park, Gateway Center and Market Square last year drew more than 70,000 visitors. Two weeks later, the city held its first-ever celebration known as FusionFest on Smithfield Street Downtown at the Greenwood Plan building. While the city is doing its own scaled-back celebration this year, Marshall is also gearing up for his festival from June 19th to the 22nd. 'This will be our 12th year of doing this event. This year will be inside of Mellon Spray Park,' Marshall said. Because of renovations at Point State Park, Marshall will be holding his festival at Mellon Park in East Liberty. And while the city isn't contributing any money this year, Marshall is getting support from other big names. 'We got the (Pittsburgh) Penguins that are going to be a part of our parade. We're so happy about that. We got Dollar Bank here. Dollar Bank helps us generate over $6 million in economic impact with our Juneteenth celebration,' Marshall said during a recent news conference at Mellon Park promoting his celebration. The Pittsburgh Penguins have partnered with B. Marshall for the past four years. Marshall told 11 Investigates he's still waiting for a final permit from the city. He's confident it will happen soon, and he says he's looking forward to the celebration. Marshall has a number of food and gift vendors, events and activities for youths and musical entertainers planned for the festival. The renowned funk and R and B band, Morris Day and The Time, will be the featured entertainer. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Why you don't need to be a tech business to benefit from Glasgow's ecosystem
When people hear the word 'tech,' they often assume it's only relevant to businesses with Silicon Valley ambitions. But Glasgow is showing the world that technology - and the ecosystem that supports it - is far more inclusive and collaborative than that. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This year, Glasgow Tech Week is expanding its focus with the launch of Fusion Fest, a one-day celebration of tech, digital creativity, and innovation. Previously known as Glasgow Tech Fest, the event has evolved to recognise the value of the exciting and visionary businesses shaping the future of the city's economy. It also acknowledges that most startups now include an element of technology, no matter what sector they operate in. Traditional sectors - whether construction, manufacturing, retail, or hospitality - have much to gain from engaging with Glasgow's tech community. The city is home to an extraordinary infrastructure for entrepreneurial and innovation-driven growth, and businesses don't need to be software specialists to benefit from the excellent support available. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Take the Venture Studio, for example, established by Glasgow City Innovation District to develop new ideas, products and business models for high growth companies in the city's tech, digital, engineering and creative ecosystem. Calum Purdie Acting as a hub, the Venture Studio brings together academic research, business talent, and scalable ideas, to deliver targeted advice and support through its four key pillars of challenge; make; innovate; and impact. At Johnston Carmichael, we're proud to support the impact pillar, providing a variety of businesses with the support they need to grow, ranging from meetings with our experts to reviewing and advising on their business plans. Other similar projects include Infinity G, offered by the University of Glasgow, to help founders, academics, students and alumni advance their plans for commercialisation. Hosted within the city's Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC), Europe's largest technology hub, each participating venture team will benefit from a substantial grant to invest in product, demo, brand, and digital assets that will position the team for market and investment success. Glasgow's focus on spinouts and startups is no accident. According to the Spotlight on Spinouts report, published in March of this year, spinouts are attracting strong investment, securing £2.60b in equity investment, even as wider investment in high-growth companies declined by 19%. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But traditional businesses can also be part of the success story. They can - and should - collaborate with these spinouts and university teams to accelerate their own innovation, improve services, or reach new markets. Formerly a city of heavy industry, Glasgow is now a global leader in world-class advanced manufacturing, employing 55,000 people across the region and generating a GVA of more than £3.8bn. It's a lesson from which others can learn. Glasgow's innovation ecosystem is not an exclusive club. It's a collaborative network designed to uplift businesses of all sizes and sectors. For companies that have been trading for decades, this is a golden opportunity to future-proof operations and learn from the agility, mindset, and tools that power Glasgow's tech success stories.
AllAfrica
17-04-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Trade war jeopardizes China's fusion energy drive
As the US and China exchange trade war salvos, concerns are rising that the decoupling could soon extend to the two sides' fruitful fusion energy cooperation. In April, Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods and ordered a probe into whether American firms are overly reliant on China's semiconductors, medical equipment and critical metals. He also tightened export control rules to prevent China from obtaining Nvidia's and AMD's graphic processing units for artificial intelligence development. Despite all this, the US has remained one of the seven contributors to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which was established in southern France in 2007. A handheld plasma device made in China. Photo: Asia Times / Jeff Pao The ITER currently provides the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) with industry standards and contracts, while French firms, including Framatome, offer China fusion technologies. 'At the moment, China is really doubling down on expanding their efforts,' Tone Langengen, a senior policy advisor for climate and energy policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said in a panel discussion at the Fusion Fest event organized by The Economist in London on April 14. 'This could become another example like the solar or electric vehicle industry, where we basically just let one country run ahead, and we end up situating the whole supply chain and all the power that comes with it in a single country. I think this dynamic could be even more significant with fusion than it was with solar,' she said. 'China has been sending people out, taking back a lot of information, and using their ability to provide a lot of finance to work very effectively and drive through barriers we set for ourselves around regulation and planning. 'It is important now for other countries to wake up to the fact that there is a real geopolitical race underway. That's not just about the technology itself. It could have significant implications for the future power and geopolitics. This is the moment for the rest of us to increase collaboration.' China joined ITER in 2003 with its Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) as a testbed for ITER technologies. A Tokamak is a donut-shaped vessel designed to confine a superheated plasma using magnetic fields. Adopting a so-called 'whole-of-nation' approach, China has significantly boosted its investment in fusion energy since 2022 as the previous Biden administration curbed the country's access to the chips, AI and quantum computing sectors. Last year, the US invested about US$1.35 billion in the fusion sector while China poured in about $1.3 billion, according to the Fusion Energy Base, an industry website. As of 2024, the US has invested $5.63 billion in the sector, compared to China's $2.49 billion. They were followed by Canada ($321 million) and the United Kingdom ($200 million). In January 2025, the EAST reactor successfully maintained a steady-state, high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds. In February, France's WEST (Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak), formerly known as Tore Supra, achieved a record-breaking 1,337 seconds. Laban Coblentz, head of communications of ITER. Photo: Asia Times /Jeff Pao 'As an American, I want my country to win the [fusion energy] race. But ultimately, we are all going to build plants globally,' said Laban Coblentz, head of communications of ITER. 'As much as we have been bashing China, what I would really like to see people doing is emulating China. 'China is actively constructing 26 [nuclear plants] with another 22 in the pipeline. They are building it on schedule with a strong safety program. How did they do that? I had no idea.' On a recent trip to Beijing, Coblentz discovered that China embedded about 140 French companies in its supply chain to construct its Hualong Two, a third-generation pressurized water nuclear fission reactor. 'I know some of my friends go to the US Congress and say: If we don't go faster, China is going to win the war on fusion. That's fine,' he said. 'But if there is this reputation: China steals other people's intellectual property, [we should] learn from what they are doing. They're doing some really smart things. And fusion is going to need to replicate some of those things intelligently if we want this to be the generational change for our kids. 'The Hualong Two and the Hualong One look a lot like a European pressurized water reactor, but [are] largely indigenous. So rather than worry about China stealing or any of that, steal back! Imitation is a very good thing to look at how they are doing and what they're doing well, and emulate that.' In addition to getting resources from ITER and French companies, China has also built a local talent pool by sending students to the US to study fusion technologies. Jin Zhang, an assistant professor in Microwave Electronics, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London. Photo: Asia Times /Jeff Pao 'In China, we've got many PhD students, and we've got scientists coming back from the USA to China to work on fusion energy projects in Energy Singularity in Shanghai,' Jin Zhang, an assistant professor in Microwave Electronics, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, told Asia Times in an interview. 'They have built the first high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tokamak in the world. Things are developing really fast in China.' Zhang, linked to the EAST project in Hefei, said if the US forbids Chinese students to study there, China's fusion energy development progress will slow and be negatively impacted. He hopes the US won't move to curb China's fusion energy sector, as any technological breakthroughs in China will benefit the whole world. 'Fusion is a shared goal for all humanity. The more we collaborate with each other, the sooner that will happen,' he added. In 1986, the European Union (Euratom), Japan, the Soviet Union and the US agreed to jointly pursue the design for a large international fusion facility, ITER. Conceptual design work began in 1988 and the final design was approved by the members in 2001. Construction of the ITER reactor started in 2013 with an initial budget of 6 billion euros ($6.84 billion). In 2021, ITER said the total cost of the reactor would be about 22 billion euros. The US Department of Energy (DOE) estimated that the overall cost of ITER would reach $65 billion by 2039, when the facility can achieve a fusion reaction involving deuterium-tritium fuel. The DOE said the US contributed $2.9 billion to ITER between 2007 and 2023, mainly in research, hardware design and manufacturing for 12 ITER systems. The European Union will contribute 45.6% of ITER's total costs, while the remaining six member countries (China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the US) will each contribute 9.1%. Read: China aims for world's first fusion-fission reactor by 2031 Read: China's Jiangxi to build a fusion-fission reactor
