35th
annual
African
World
Festival
to take
place
August
18-20
Feature
events
include
performance
by
Grammy
Award-nominee
Eric
Benét,
Detroit
Rocks
the
Runway
Fashion
Show,
Children’s
Village
and
Blues in
the Park
entertainment
DETROIT
- The
Charles
H.
Wright
Museum
of
African
American
History
(The
Wright
Museum)
presents
the 35th
annual
African
World
Festival
(AWF),
August
18
through
August
20. This
year’s
AWF
events
include
a
headlining
performance
from
four-time
Grammy
Award-nominee
Eric
Benét,
the
Detroit
Rocks
the
Runway
Fashion
Show,
the
Watoto
Children’s
Village
and
Knight
Foundation
Children’s
Book
Fair,
and
Blues in
the Park
entertainment.
This
free,
three-day
festival
will
take
place on
the
grounds
of The
Wright
Museum,
located
at 315
East
Warren
Avenue
in
Detroit,
11 a.m.
to 11
p.m.
daily.
As
Detroit’s
largest
ethnic
festival,
AWF
attracts
more
than
150,000
people
every
year to
celebrate
the
richness,
diversity
and
worldwide
influence
of
African
culture
through
performances,
cuisine
and
fashion.
The
festival
will
feature
more
than 150
vendors
with
merchandise
made and
inspired
by
African
cultures,
and the
AWF Food
Village
will
include
delicious
African,
Caribbean
and
African
American
cuisine.
“African
World
Festival
is a
true
treasure
of
Detroit,”
Juanita
Moore,
president
and CEO
of The
Wright
Museum
said.
“2017
marks
its 35th
year,
which is
a
testament
to the
longevity
of its
community
spirit,
and to
the
resilience
and
unity of
the
communities
that
come
together
to
celebrate
it."
Non-stop
entertainment
from
local,
national
and
international
artists
will
take
place
throughout
the
weekend.
On
Friday,
August
18 from
7:30-8:30
p.m.,
four-time
Grammy
Award-nominee
Eric
Benét
will
perform
his R&B
and Soul
hits on
the Ford
Main
Stage.
On
Saturday,
August
19 from
9-10:30
p.m.,
the
Detroit
Rocks
the
Runway
Fashion
Show
will
feature
collections
from
eight
emerging
designers
and
special
guest
designer
Jimi
King,
and will
include
musical
guests
DJ
iNViSiBLE
and
Video7.
On
Sunday,
August
20 from
1:30-8:30
p.m.,
local
blues
musicians
will
join the
festival
with
performances
at Blues
in the
Park on
the
Generation
Next
Stage.
Festival
goers
are
encouraged
to bring
lawn
chairs
for this
event.
Heritage
Works, a
Detroit-based
cultural
arts
organization,
returns
as
sponsor
of the
African
Folklife
Village,
providing
drum and
dance
performances,
traditional
craft
demonstrations
and
opportunities
for
audience
participation,
11 a.m.
to 8
p.m.
daily.
The
Knight
Foundation
Children’s
Book
Fair
will
take
place in
the
Watoto
Children’s
Village
for the
fifth
year in
a row,
where
every
child
receives
a free
book
courtesy
of the
John S.
and
James L.
Knight
Foundation.
In
addition
to the
book
fair,
families
can
enjoy
daily
stage
performances,
crafts,
face
painting
and more
in the
Watoto
Children’s
Village
from 11
a.m. to
7 p.m.
daily.
Also on
site
will be
a
portion
of The
Wright
Museum’s
featured
exhibition,
Say It
Loud:
Art,
History,
Rebellion,
which
commemorates
the 50th
anniversary
of the
1967
Detroit
Rebellion.
This
outdoor
installation
features
photographs,
quotes,
and
historical
information
about
the
events
that led
to the
uprising
and its
aftermath.
Festival
attendees
will be
able to
view
this
section
of the
exhibition
at no
charge.
The
complete
Say It
Loud:
Art,
History,
Rebellion
exhibit
featuring
works by
more
than 40
nationally
recognized
artists,
along
with the
museum’s
other
exhibitions,
are
included
in
museum
admission.
The
Wright
Museum
will be
open
with
extended
hours
until 7
p.m.
during
the
festival.
The
festival
itself
is free
and open
to the
public.
AWF
continues
to “go
green”
with
several
eco-friendly
initiatives
to
encourage
sustainable
practices
among
AWF
attendees,
including
bike
valet
located
in the
Scarab
Club
parking
lot, a
complimentary
solar
powered
cell
phone
charging
station,
and
recycling
bins
located
throughout
the
festival.
The 2017
African
World
Festival
is
sponsored
by Ford
Motor
Company
and
Heritage
Works.
The
Knight
Foundation
Children’s
Book
Fair and
the Say
It Loud:
Art,
History,
Rebellion
exhibition
are made
possible
by
support
from the
John S.
and
James L.
Knight
Foundation.
A full
schedule
of AWF
performances
and
events,
as well
as
information
about
parking,
can be
found at
www.TheWright.org.
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