Festivals celebrates the richness, diversity and worldwide influence of African culture. Here’s a list of fifteen United States black cultural festivals that you should put on your bucket list to attend and experience.
Cultural
1. Gullah Festival
South Carolina’s Gullah Festival held over the Memorial Day weekend and focuses on the low-country culture of African-Americans, whose customs developed mainly offshore and retained a stronger connection to the traditions of the various African peoples enslaved on islands along the coast of South Carolina. This festival displays the music, crafts, food and art forms that the Gullah people have held onto during the transition from slavery to freedom.
2. Juneteenth Celebration.
Milwaukee holds one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the country with events, a parade, pageants, and a festival on Milwaukee’s King Drive. Juneteenth is the official Independence Day for African Americans across the country and commemorates African American freedom proclaimed to all slaves in the South.
Music
3. The Essence Festival.
People gather in New Orleans, LA each July for three days of music, entertainment, empowerment and culture in New Orleans, LA.
4. Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival
The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is New York City’s largest Hip-Hop cultural event that showcases the positivity of Hip-Hop culture. The festival consists of a variety of culture-based educational and entertainment events, including music performances, panel lectures, exhibitions, movie screenings and a family-friendly block party.
5. One Music Festival. Atlanta.
Is the Southeast’s largest urban progressive music festival. Atlanta-based vendors are featured annually at the event, with many of them being Black owned so travelers can feel good knowing they’re supporting local Black businesses.
6. The Roots Picnic. Philadelphia
is a full a day of incredible hip-hop and R&B music and has become a Philly summer tradition. It features performances from some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B.
7. Capital Jazz Festival. Washington, DC area.
Each year in early June, tens of thousands of music lovers from throughout the country flock to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to attend “the jazz festival with soul.” A multi-day, multi-stage outdoor music festival which attracts music lovers nationwide. In-between musical sets, people enjoy fine art and crafts at the Festival Marketplace, culinary treats at the food court, and meet & greet the artists. After the show there are late night events the festival host hotel.
Art
8. The African Festival of the Arts.
Held annually during the Labor Day Weekend on the grounds of Chicago’ Washington Park in a simulated African village. Attendees are transported across the Diaspora with interactive engagements, vibrant drumming, museum quality and collectible artifacts, colorful and rich handwoven fabric and textile, and other programs and performances.
Film
9. The American Black Film Festival (ABFF)
is dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by, for and about people of African descent. The festival consists of a wide range of films, television screenings, engaging panels, networking events, activities designed to educate, nurture career development, and inspire attendees, and more. It is held in Miami every June.
10. The Run & Shoot Filmworks
Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival runs closed to a week with the screening and promoting of feature, documentary, and short films produced by and starring African-Americans from across the world.
11. Pan African Film Artist Festival (PAFF). Los Angeles.
A film festival and an arts festival in Los Angeles in February of each year. It is America’s largest black film festival showcasing films from Africa, the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, South America, and Canada. This event also features 100 Black fine artists and craftspeople, poetry, fashion shows, free forums, and panel discussions.
Theater
12. National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF).
Winston-Salem, NC features 130 performances in a number of the city’s venues. Festival events includes theatre workshops, films, seminars, a teen poetry slam and a star-studded celebrity gala making the National Black Theatre Festivals one of the best theater festivals in the country.
13. Atlanta Black Theatre Festival (ABTF)
is the nation’s largest self-producing platform for Afro-centric theatre under one roof! Each year the festival presents a curated selection of world-class theatre sharing the most incredible heartwarming stories of African descendants from across the diaspora.
Other
14. The Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival.
Held in the DMV area this festival is for spirit enthusiasts, wine aficionados, and beer lovers. Festival attendees network with others, and sample wine, spirits, and beer created by Black-owned companies.
15. CurlFest. New York.
Known as the largest festival in America celebrating natural beauty. It started as an ode to Black women and our hair. Every year, the festival takes over Randall’s Island Park in New York for a full day of beauty, music, food, and Black culture.
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