The Odunde Festival is a one-day festival and mostly a
street market catered to African-American interests and the
African diaspora. It is derived from the tradition of the
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outsid ...
of
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
in celebration of the new year according to the
Yoruba calendar or Kọ́jọ́dá, which usually falls on the first moon of June (Òkudù) on the Gregorian calendar. It is centered at the intersection of Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street in the U.S. city of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
Ruth Arthur and Lois Fernandez were co-founders of Odunde festival. Ruth died at age 64 in 1997. While Lois died at age 81 in 2017.
History
The Odunde festival started in Philadelphia in 1975.
Lois Fernandez and her friend Ruth Arthur organized the first Odunde Festival. It took place in April 1975,
as the "
Oshun Festival".
The goal was to bring together the community and to foster awareness of and pride in black history and culture.
The festival began with $100 from neighborhood donations.
The festival is one of the largest African celebration on the east coast of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It is held in the month of June. The festival brings in
Africans from all parts of the world, including Africa, Brazil, and other places around the United States.
According to WXPN, "... beginning with an all-inclusive spiritual procession to the Schuylkill River, the festival carries on from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., filling the day with vibrant traditional clothing, African food, and art and craft vendors from around the world."
There was no festival in 2020.
File:OdundeFestivalGraysFerry.jpg, Odunde Festival 2013 on Grays Ferry Avenue
See also
*
African-American neighborhood
References
External links
ODUNDE365Official festival website
{{U.S. Holidays
African-American festivals
African diaspora in the United States
Brazilian-American culture
Festivals in Philadelphia
Southwest Center City, Philadelphia
Yoruba-American history
Yoruba culture
African festivals