St. Louisans can flock to Forest Park to celebrate African and African-American culture this Memorial Day weekend as the St. Louis African Arts Festival returns from May 23–25.
The festival will celebrate its 35th year as vendors from across the world, including numerous visitors from African nations, pour into the World’s Fair Pavilion to showcase their artwork, apparel, and jewelry, much of which is directly imported from their home countries.
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
“Our mission is to bring the St. Louis community together in celebration of African and African-American Culture,” says Cynthia Cosby, founder of the festival. “The festival is geared towards educating, not just entertaining.”
With activities ranging from cultural demonstrations, such as hair-braiding or African hairdressing techniques, to performing arts showcases, the festival seeks to celebrate the culturally rich heritage of African and African diasporic communities while informing attendees about how to engage with it. Hands-on activities for children ensure that the event is suitable for all ages.
The fest is also a community effort. Their partners include the Saint Louis Art Museum and Missouri History Museum, which historically have offered programs and tours in conjunction with the festival weekend, as well as The Muny, which traditionally hosts a movie night on the Sunday evening of the festival. The festival is free for all attendees, meaning that any interested community member can attend.
Organized by the African Heritage Association and born out of Washington University’s 35th Annual African Studies Conference in the early ’90s, the festival has experienced remarkable growth throughout the years. Cosby says the festival, which has remained at the same location in Forest Park for nearly 20 years, is “bursting at the seams.”
“We’re estimating that we’ve reached about 20,000 [attendees] for the weekend,” she says. “We’re very proud of that.”
After the May 16 tornado last year, the festival was unfortunately cancelled, much to the disappointment of organizers and long-time attendees. But Cosby is hopeful for an incredible turnout this year. “The community is ripe and ready for our event this year,” she says.
