Columbus African Festival Returns to Genoa Park

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Celebrate the rich African culture found right here in Columbus with educational and artistic programming presented by the Columbus African Festival.

The Columbus African Festival takes place July 26 and 27 at Genoa Park and seeks to highlight the uniqueness of African culture and heritage. Throughout the two festival days, African culture will be showcased in a myriad of ways to bring together the African community of central Ohio.

Special emphasis will be placed on art, sustainability and the diversity of African and Diasporan artistic mediums. This art can range from music, food, dance and fashion to even encompass the African-centered approach to holistic medicine.

Guests can experience traditional music and dance performances as well as food from a variety of vendors serving dishes from different African countries such as Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. There will also be drink vendors serving coffee and smoothies.

A wide range of merchandise vendors will offer fashion, art and beauty products emphasizing art’s importance as a representation of the “collective aspiration for a higher form of life and humanity.”

For example, Delfashion, an African-inspired clothing brand, seeks to encourage confide

nce and culture by fusing African tradition with modern fashion trends. Natural AWA (Authentic Wonders from Africa) features skincare and beauty products that stress the importance of natural ingredients and confidence.

There will also be a variety of informational vendors to visit. Africentric Personal Development Shop (APDS) provides information about thriving through job readiness support and will be a featured vendor alongside Ohio State University, Central State University and more.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.columbusafricanfestival.com.

Avery Gillis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.