By Victoria Williams
As a North Carolina native, I am not absolved from what seems like answering the ongoing question of “what is there to do in Raleigh?” In fact it’s a question that I’ve pondered since moving here for school.
After Covid took a hit on the downtown scene in 2020, Raleigh has been moving forward in generously trying to bring back the life and vitality of the area. With Covid restrictions lifted, new people moving in, and developments happening all around the city, there is a sense of community that frolics through the downtown area; this is certainly true for Fayetteville Street. A couple of weekends ago, my friends and I went to Carnival (pronounced by emphasizing the a in the last syllable) in downtown Raleigh, which leads me to their next biggest event, the African American Festival.
For Labor Day weekend, Downtown Raleigh had their annual African American festival. This year will be the 15th anniversary of the festival’s event with an expectation of around 40,000 attendees, as reported by the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County.
While there was live music with a DJ and a stage, there was also a weekend of live concerts at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The concert featured five time Grammy winner PJ Morton and also singer & composer Avery Sunshine, who had returned for a second year. The concert tickets went on sale back in May, with prices starting at $43.50 for non members and $38.25 for members of the museum.
Festivals like this are essential for communities and are not often regarded in lesser populated cities.
According to the Office of State Budget and Management, 20% of the population in Wake County identified as Black or African American. However this isn’t the county with the highest black population; that would actually be Bertie county, with a population of 17,000, almost 11,000 residents identify as Black. With 20% of North Carolina’s population being Black, it’s important to have events and festivals that reflect this, while bringing cultural nuance to the city.
I was fortunate enough to have been able to attend the festival and was excited to see a variety of small Black-owned businesses. The three day event featured food trucks, retailers and artists. During my visit I made my way to a holistic vendor by the name of, The Self Care Marketplace.
The festival is not just an event for vendors and buyers, it’s also a chance to meet people with all types of skills. On my way out, while examining the traditional African clothes, I gazed upon a pair of beautiful corduroy slacks and asked the man that was wearing them where he found them. He said he made them.
It was a great interaction to end a sunny Saturday at a local event.