2010 Washington DC Africa festival

By Paul Ndiho
July 11, 2010

Washington DC came alive with the sights and sounds of Africa at the first Annual Washington DC African Festival. The festival showcased African arts and culture.
Hundreds of people stepped out in the rain to enjoy a display of traditional African culture. There were cultural dances, fashion, arts & crafts, a taste of African cuisine, and countless other activities.
“This is beautiful. It’s about time that there is an African festival in DC.”
“They’ve had a lot of people turning up and the experience has been wonderful.”
“It’s amazing to see that the Government of DC is trying to bring all African cultures and people together in one place. I hope they continue to do this annually.”
Several Africans from different parts of the United States represented their countries at the fair as they marched around waving flags and dancing to “Waka Waka” and other 2010 World cup songs.


“It’s the first event Africans, as well Americans have come together to celebrate the accomplishments of Africans in the DC area.”
“Great to see so many people come out and experience the different cultures of Africa.”
“Wow the performances have been great, the crowd is wonderful and there are so many people here.”
In an effort to promote African business in Washington, the park was turned into a replica of a small African street. Vendors were selling everything from original African clothing, to artifacts and colorful handcrafted jewelry from West Africa.
After many hours of braving the heat, shopping, sight-seeing and tasting the delicious African delicacies, many visitors capped off the day by sitting down with family and friends to catch the live music.