African Festival of the Arts

Dates: Labor Day Weekend: Friday -Monday, September 1-4, 2023
Location: Washington Park – Chicago, IL
Hours: 10AM-10PM daily
Attendance: 250,000
Demographics: African American Families
Beneficiary: Africa International House
Theme: Celebration of African Culture

Overview:

In a city that prides itself in the quantity and quality of its summer festivals, The African Festival of the Arts (AFA) is one of Chicago’s crown jewels.   Drawing hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country over the Labor Day weekend, African Festival of the Arts is considered to be the single largest African-centered event in the USA and the most important of its kind in Chicago.

African Festival of the Arts is the flagship program of the Africa International House (AIH). 

During its 33 -year history, this four- day event has stayed perfectly true to its mission: to promote, preserve and propagate African American culture. The AFA is a series of festivals within a festival built around African culture: art, music, dance, history and current interests and pursuits. 

Stimulation is the operative word used to describe the African Festival of the Arts (AFA). The visitor’s first rush of sights, sounds and sweet and savory smells are almost overwhelming. The senses can barely take it all in.  The event is jam packed with cultural entertainment, education, shopping, food, drink and fun including:

• A Fine Arts Pavilion where more than $1M in art sales are exchanged.
• An African Market.
• A Drum Village.
• Three entertainment stages.
• National music headliners.
• Sponsorable pavilions that focus on  African Heritage, literature, automotive, family and children, technology, spirituality, business/finance, green/energy, wellness/fitness, dance, education, film, fashion and others. 
• An international food court.

The Art:

The Fine Arts Pavilion features hundreds of thousands of pieces of collectible art including everything from original oils, watercolors, pastel, mixed media, acrylics, wood, and metal sculptures, along with wearable art and jewelry. All art displayed at the AFA is juried and selected by a panel of experts. Hundreds of artists compete for the privilege of showing and selling their art. More than a million dollars in art sales occur in the Fine Art Pavilion each year.