The inaugural Rafiki African Cultural Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 31, from noon to 5 p.m. at Foundry Park along the Codorus Creek in York. The festival will celebrate the diversity of York City and county. The event is free and open to the public.
The festival will feature authentic cuisine representing local African communities, vendors selling African crafts and merchandise, local nonprofits, children's activities, African dance and drum performances, African music and a fashion show. A schedule of performances for the event is to be posted at the Rafiki African Festival Facebook event page.
Food vendors will include Rafiki Shoppe, a social enterprise that serves central Pennsylvania with authentic African cuisine. Proceeds from the business support community education and development in western Kenya. In addition to East African cuisine from Rafiki Shoppe, cuisine will include food from Angola, Morocco and Liberia.
Merchandise and arts vendors will include House of Plethora, an East and West African-inspired clothing apparel and accessories line. Three friends, Taiye, Joy and Scovia, who are from different parts of Africa and are residing in the United States, started their company in 2018. They design the clothes and accessories, which are 100 percent produced in Africa. African crafts will also be available for sale.
Performances will include Joey CoStar, a local African pop artist; an African dance and drum ensemble led by Francis, a local African dance instructor; Kenyan Samburu dancers and singers; and African poetry. An African fashion show will feature designers' attire. The day will conclude with an African flag parade and drumming.
For more information, readers may search for "Rafiki African Festival" on Facebook or visit http://www.rafikiafricanfestival.com.
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