35TH ANNUAL AFRICAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

Name: 35TH ANNUAL AFRICAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Start: 2025-08-30T10:00:00+05:30
End: 2025-09-01T10:00:00+05:30
Location: Washington Park

Schedule

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025 at 10:00 am to Mon, 01 Sep, 2025 at 10:00 am

UTC+05:30

Location

Washington Park | Chicago, IL

A four-day into African culture & heritage immersive experience with 300 vendors live African Diaspora music & family entertainment!
About this Event
Africa International House USA Inc. will present performing artists from all points of the African Diaspora to celebrate the United Nations proclaimed "Decade for people of African [ancestry]” during the 35th Annual African Festival of the Arts in Chicago - Labor Day Weekend.
The Festival features an eclectic mix of African Diaspora music including old-school funk with CAMEO to traditional African drumming and storytelling with Mammadou Diabate and Percussion Mania(Mali) to jazz with impresario Dee Alexander (Chicago) Afrofusion with the Wazumbians (Ghana) Raggae with Gyptian (Jamacia) Gospel with the legendary Dorothy Norwood Latin sounds with Crosswind and more!
The nation’s largest Labor Day Weekend celebration of Black global cultures attracts over 75000 culture enthusiasts to Chicago Illinois’ southside museum district in Washington Park. This traditional end-of-summer culturally immersive and interactive event brings the art sights tastes sounds rhythms and spirit of African Diaspora cultures to Chicago - in a replicated African village with over 300 vendors!
Non-stop entertainment representing the full arc of African Diaspora music expression is featured on two stages! It's a "Tout Bagay" event offering something for everyone! The entire family will enjoy abundant fun and take home great memories at an affordable cost!
The festival’s gated grounds are a safe zone for children who can witness extraordinary sites like the towering S.P.I.R.I.T. Stilt Walkers or engage in activities from computer coding to arts and crafts with the Betty Shabazz Academy. New and experienced musicians are invited to the Drum Circle where hypnotic rhythms will revitalize you and inspire the dancer in you! Discover natural healing practices and learn from the masters in the Spiritual Health & Wellness Pavilions in the Ancestral Grove that feature interactive activities Including cycling yoga meditation and Zumba dancing!
Get first-edition signed books and hear from noted authors and poets in the Authors & Book Pavilion. See films by local and internationally known filmmakers in the Cinema & Black Storytelling Pavilion. Spice up your palette with culinary delights of the African diaspora from Jollof rice to plantains and cassava greens along the Bank of the Nile Food Court. Purchase collectible fine visual arts and meet the artists in the Fine Art and Quilt Pavilions. Shop for authentic museum-quality textiles Shona stone sculptures and wood carvings that are desired for high-end interior design. Add wearable art leather crafts and hand-made unique jewelry by acclaimed designers to your personal and heirloom collections. This eclectic family gathering has something for everyone!
Social Media Handleshttps://www.facebook.com/AfricanFestivaloftheArts/https://www.instagram.com/AfricanFestChi/https://twitter.com/AIHChicago https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3mm5oIHPeJTB2AwCv6cMWQ
Event Photos