Odunde Festival

Odunde Festival
Odunde Festival celebrated in Southwest Center City in Philadelphia
GenreCultural and commercial festival
LocationsSouthwest Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CountryUnited States of America
Inaugurated1975
Most recent
2026
Attendance500,000[1]
Websitehttps://www.odundefestival.org/

The Odunde Festival is a one-day festival and street market catered to African-American interests and the African diaspora. It is derived from the tradition of the Yoruba people of Nigeria in celebration of the new year according to the Yoruba calendar or Kọ́jọ́dá, which usually falls on the first moon of June (Òkudù) on the Gregorian calendar. It is centered at the intersection of Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street in Southwest Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was co-founded by Ruth Arthur and Lois Fernandez.

History

The Odunde festival started in Philadelphia in 1975. Lois Fernandez and her friend Ruth Arthur organized the first Odunde Festival. It took place in April 1975,[2][3] as the "Oshun Festival".[2] The goal was to bring together the community and to foster awareness of and pride in black history and culture.[4] The festival began with $100 from neighborhood donations.[5]

The festival is one of the largest African celebration on the east coast of the United States. It is held in the month of June. The Odunde festival brings in Africans from all parts of the world, including Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil.[6] According to WXPN, "... beginning with an all-inclusive spiritual procession to the Schuylkill River, the festival carries on from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., filling the day with vibrant traditional clothing, African food, and art and craft vendors from around the world."[7]

Ruth died at age 64 in 1997. While Lois died at age 81 in 2017.

There was no festival in 2020.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ODUNDE Celebrating African American Culture". ODUNDE. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Harris, Christina Afia. "ODUNDE Festival". The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  3. ↑ Mazenko, Elizabeth (June 7, 2013). "Odunde Festival closes the streets for its 38th anniversary". WXPN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  4. ↑ Hunter, Marcus Anthony (2013). Black citymakers: how the Philadelphia negro changed urban America. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 170, 196–202. ISBN 9780199948130. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ Gregg, Cherri (May 13, 2013). "Oshunbumi Fernandez, Caring Through Culture and Odunde 365". CBS Philly. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ Jenkins, Kristina (June 6, 2013). "Our Guide To The Odunde Festival, Set To Bring A Celebration Of African-American Culture To South Street West This Sunday, June 9". UWISHUNU Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ Mazenko, Elizabeth (June 7, 2013). "Odunde Festival closes the streets for its 38th anniversary". WXPN. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.