3 Dates · Aug 16 - Aug 18
Friday at 11 AM – 11 PM
Saturday at 11 AM – 11 PM
Sunday at 11 AM – 11 PM
The 37th annual African World Festival is bringing over 150,000 attendees to the grounds of The Wright Museum. With performances, poetry, arts and crafts, African drumming and dance, hundreds of vendors, authentic foods of the diaspora and more, this FREE 3-day festival is for the entire family!
Food & Shopping
AWF 2019 will feature over 125 vendors of authentic African, African American and Caribbean food, apparel and accessories, health products and more. These vendors represent 8 African countries and 15 U.S. states, providing a unique shopping experience! Vendor booths will be situated on Brush and Farnsworth streets.
Potential artists, volunteers, and vendors for #AWF2019 can download applications here: http://bit.ly/AWF-2019
Entertainment
Festivities will officially commence on Friday afternoon with a welcome by The Wright Museum President and CEO Neil A. Barclay. Headlining AWF 2019 is R&B crooner Freddie Jackson, who will perform on the Main Stage on Friday night. Other notable performers include Grammy Award-winning gospel music legends and Detroit natives, The Clark Sisters and Family on Saturday and the exciting Afrobeat ensemble #Kalakuta on Sunday.
More entertainment includes, but is not limited to:
- Detroit Rocks The Runway Fashion Show coordinated by renowned local creative and fashion photographer Piper Carter and featuring musical headliner #DanniCassette
- Children’s activities including face painting, stage performances, and a book fair
- Live drum and dance performances coordinated by Heritage Works
Education
As an institution focused on learning, visitors can participate in this year's college fair featuring local colleges and universities, as well as prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Inside the Museum
Inside of the 150,000 square-foot facility, all exhibitions on display - traveling exhibition "The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles", permanent exhibition "And Still We Rise", and others - will be open. The Museum store will also be open, which features Museum merchandise, Detroit specific brands, memberships and other unique finds that won’t be outside. Inside the General Motors Theater, African World Film Festival will host an exclusive screening of the smash documentary Horror Noire directed by #XavierBurgin, followed by live Q&A with Burgin.
Buy tickets to African World Film Festival here: https://filmfreeway.com/Africa
Food & Shopping
AWF 2019 will feature over 125 vendors of authentic African, African American and Caribbean food, apparel and accessories, health products and more. These vendors represent 8 African countries and 15 U.S. states, providing a unique shopping experience! Vendor booths will be situated on Brush and Farnsworth streets.
Potential artists, volunteers, and vendors for #AWF2019 can download applications here: http://bit.ly/AWF-2019
Entertainment
Festivities will officially commence on Friday afternoon with a welcome by The Wright Museum President and CEO Neil A. Barclay. Headlining AWF 2019 is R&B crooner Freddie Jackson, who will perform on the Main Stage on Friday night. Other notable performers include Grammy Award-winning gospel music legends and Detroit natives, The Clark Sisters and Family on Saturday and the exciting Afrobeat ensemble #Kalakuta on Sunday.
More entertainment includes, but is not limited to:
- Detroit Rocks The Runway Fashion Show coordinated by renowned local creative and fashion photographer Piper Carter and featuring musical headliner #DanniCassette
- Children’s activities including face painting, stage performances, and a book fair
- Live drum and dance performances coordinated by Heritage Works
Education
As an institution focused on learning, visitors can participate in this year's college fair featuring local colleges and universities, as well as prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Inside the Museum
Inside of the 150,000 square-foot facility, all exhibitions on display - traveling exhibition "The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles", permanent exhibition "And Still We Rise", and others - will be open. The Museum store will also be open, which features Museum merchandise, Detroit specific brands, memberships and other unique finds that won’t be outside. Inside the General Motors Theater, African World Film Festival will host an exclusive screening of the smash documentary Horror Noire directed by #XavierBurgin, followed by live Q&A with Burgin.
Buy tickets to African World Film Festival here: https://filmfreeway.com/Africa
The Opening Ceremony for African World Festival 2019 begins at 4 PM on Friday, August 16. This weekend-long event is sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund, Heritage Works, Wayne State University, Domino’s Pizza, Knight Foundation, and Go RVing.