The 42nd Annual African Street Festival returns to Nashville for a three-day celebration of culture, music and community next weekend. The highly anticipated 42nd Annual African Street Festival, hosted by the African American Cultural Alliance (AACA), will take place from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22, 2024, at Hadley Lillard Park, 1037 28th Avenue North, Nashville, TN. This immersive, family-friendly cultural experience is free and open to the public. Hours are: Friday from 5:00 – 9:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
The African Street Festival is Nashville’s premier cultural festival, highlighting the rich heritage and traditions of African and African-American culture. Over three days, attendees will enjoy live music, a bustling marketplace, food vendors, and artistic performances. Each year, the festival grows in size and impact, now drawing over 50,000 attendees and featuring more than 130 vendors.
“We’re proud to host a festival that serves as a bridge from Africa to Nashville,” said Jeneene Blackman, CEO of AACA. “This event provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to celebrate African and African-American culture while fostering unity and creativity.”
This free music festival, marketplace, and journey through African culture is a great way of bridging our history from Africa to Nashville. With over 40,000 festival goers and over 125 vendors in their network, they have been championing a powerful cultural community for the past 41 years, driven by the belief that when they provide an African cultural experience to our Nashville community it provides more impact.
Festival-goers can expect a vibrant schedule of activities, including live music performances across genres including reggae, hip hop, jazz, gospel, blues, African drumming, and spoken word; a marketplace with a diverse selection of local and international vendors offering everything from handmade crafts to authentic African attire and accessories; and culinary delights with a wide array of delicious food from across the African diaspora. Cultural Village Activities include dance performances, educational workshops, art exhibitions, health awareness activities, kid’s village includes puppet shows, dance and drumming lessons and more.
With something for all ages, the African Street Festival encourages attendees to discover the vibrant community, creativity, and empowerment that the event fosters each year. Families are invited to explore, shop, and enjoy the free festival, making it a must-attend event on the Nashville cultural calendar.
The African American Cultural Alliance is committed to celebrating and connecting the extensions of Africa to America by way of education, arts, business, family and community, helping us become ONE strong. — AACA Village. The African American Cultural Alliance (AACA) was founded in May of 1983 by several concerned African American community members in Nashville who wanted to promote the positive aspects of African culture. The primary concern of the African American Cultural Alliance is to enhance the awareness of the cultural and historical background of people of African descent, while providing various outlets in which we ourselves can take part in demonstrating our culture to others. The African Cultural Alliance embraces the definition of culture as all material and immaterial things that a people manifests in order to survive, adapt, control and flourish in their environment.
For more information, including the full schedule of events, volunteer opportunities, or to donate to the AACA, please visit: africanstreetfestival.com.
