PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — On June 12, part of Philadelphia's South Street will be turned into what organizers call the largest African American street festival in America, and it’s happening for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A feast for the senses, the 45th Odunde Festival will cover 15 blocks and feature artifacts, sculptures, vendors, drumming, entertainment, and endless culinary offerings in an event that festival leaders say has drawn as many as 500,000 visitors in one year.
Odunde means ‘Happy New Year’ in the West African Yoruba language.
At noon on the festival day, there will be a historic procession to the Schuylkill River at the South Street Bridge where gifts of fruit and flowers will be brought to honor the goddess Oshun, the Yoruba deity of culture, civilization, art, and love, keeping with the spiritual tradition.
Lois Fernandez created the festival in 1975 after a visit to Nigeria. Her daughter is the festival’s CEO, Oshunbumi Fernandez-West.
“She saw the Oshun festival, and she came back and created this festival in 1975. My mother never thought that Odunde would grow to this magnitude,” said Fernandez-West.
"Odunde is for everyone, no matter what your demographic, no matter your income bracket, what neighborhood you grew up in, what city or state or country you come from. Odunde is for everyone," she added. “We are so thrilled to be able to invite Odunde attendees back on South Street to hear the drumming, watch the families of different generations join us for fun and entertainment, and offer all the tastes of Africa, the Caribbean, and African American culture.”
Dance encompasses another big part of the festival tradition. Wanda Dickerson with the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble encourages the passing of cultural traditions to future generations.
"In the beginning, we were kings and queens and we loved to celebrate,” said Dickerson. "So that love we have for that … we continue to give to our young people so that they know their culture and why we do what we do."
The festival has a $28 million economic impact on the city of Philadelphia, according to organizers. It has been designated as an official city event.
Events surrounding the festival begin on June 8 with a poetry slam, and include an African head wrapping and food tasting event, and a pair of business roundtables before the main festival on June 12.
To find out more, visit www.odundefestival.org
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