LAURINBURG —The Kuumba Festival returns this weekend with its focus on food, family and music and history.
The festival — now in its 27th year — will kick off Friday night with a pageant, then resume on Saturday morning with a full-day festival to showcase and celebrate contributions to everyday life by African-Americans.
The Kuumba pageant, which was added the festival three years later in 1993 will pick a queen from its 10 contestants to reign over Saturday’s festivities. The festival begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Laurinburg Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $8 at the door. For children 5 to 12, tickets are $5.
The festival is organized by the African American Heritage Committee, Inc.
“I hope visitors learn about the culture and heritage of African-American and contributions that Africans have contributed to the North American continent,” said Daniel Dockery, president of the African American Heritage Committee. “Kuumba is not a festival only for African-Americans, but a festival to share with the community of our county the music, food, and camaraderie that comes with being of African decent.”
Saturday’s events will take place at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Market Park, located at 17100 Lee’s Mill Road.
“Mostly we are looking forward to the fellowship and for people to learn about African culture and the vendors and different arts and crafts items,” Dockery said, who looks forward to seeing a unified community.
The free festival’s organizers hope to attract more than 4,500 and 5,000 visitors, with some wearing colorful dashikis and other traditional attire from various parts of Africa.who will be entertained by an array of local and regional talent, all in celebration of African-American culture.
“I think it is so important for Scotland County to just have cultural awareness,” said Lesley Strickland, a co-coordinator for the Kuumba Pageant. “It is eye opening and there is so much more to the African culture, although it is similar, it is different than black culture.”
There will be entertainment from an array of local and regional talent, all in celebration of African-American culture. Kuumba means creativity in Swahili.
“We are excited for two reasons, the pageant is the first pageant some of our contestants have ever been in, and we just hope the entire days is filled with excitement for them, their families, and visitors of the festival,” Strickland said, who hopes to gain awareness for African-American culture.
Food vendors will be serving up everything soul food, from barbecued chicken and ribs, collard sandwiches, fried turkey legs and fish, sweet potato and pecan pies and other down-home delicacies. Other vendors sold African-themed attire, walking sticks and less exotic arts and crafts. According to organizers, this year will feature about 35 vendors.
