How do you condense the culture of an entire continent into a two-day festival? It’s not easy, but Africanival does it anyway, featuring food, vendors, artists, and fashion from all parts of Africa.
Anna Ouedraogo, manager of Africanival, says the festival started seven years ago when a group of friends were sitting around a table. They were talking about how “we don’t have a big market for Black entrepreneurs” in Edmonton that really reflected the diverse cultures of Africa. When met with a problem, they got working on the solution, which resulted in Africanival.
Today the festival isn’t limited to just a marketplace for vendors. It includes everything from drum sessions, live music, hip hop, film, visual art displays, a flag parade and even a fashion show. One of the best parts about the Edmonton festival season is the food, so of course, I was excited to hear that Africanival has a huge food market. Ouedraogo says, “You shouldn’t miss the jollof rice.”
Ouedraogo’s favourite part of the festival is seeing all of the visitors who come to the festival enjoying themselves with the food and the performances. “It really shows the diversity we have in our culture, and it’s always fun and interesting to see what other countries’ cultures have done.”
“Between the cold weather and our busy life, we don’t get to see people often, but when it’s something like this, you can find almost every [African] culture represented in one spot,” Ouedraogo says. “It gives you that feeling of we are one, and everybody is so happy to see each other, and everyone is also learning about the culture of others.”
Learn about the diverse culture of Edmonton’s African community at Africanival June 3 – 4. (And don’t miss the jollof rice.)
