Art + Culture
BLACK JOY: 38th Annual African World Festival
August 31, 2021 · Updated September 7, 2021·By Nick Pizana
The 38th annual African World Festival will return to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit the weekend of Aug. 20-22. This free, family-friendly summertime staple celebrates the diversity o
August 31, 2021 · Updated September 7, 2021
The 38th annual African World Festival will return to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit the weekend of Aug. 20-22. This free, family-friendly summertime staple celebrates the diversity of the African diaspora with food, live performances and crafts. This year’s event will invite over 125 different vendors displaying a variety of African and Caribbean offerings including art, clothes, jewelry and food. Crowds will gather at the festival’s several stages to be awed by live demonstrations of African dances and music. And kids are invited to check out the Watoto Village, a special children’s area featuring a book fair, games, crafts and special performances.
The African World Festival is centered around the global histories and cultures of African descendants. It is a natural fit for the Wright, one of the largest museums dedicated to African American history in the world. The festival spans the museum’s interior and exterior, and parts of Peck Park. Previous years have boasted crowds of more than 100,000 visitors, and after last year’s event was postponed due to the pandemic, this celebration will be a return to form.
Requests for comment from an African World Festival representative were unsuccessful.
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