PORTSMOUTH, Va. — For the first time since 2019, the Umoja Festival in Portsmouth is back!
For the past two years, it's been canceled because of COVID. Then on Friday, organizers pushed back the opening day ceremony because of stormy weather.
The event celebrates African American culture with live music, kids' activities, and traditional art and food.
Before the pandemic, the Umoja Festival had taken place in Portsmouth for nearly 30 years. In 1991, the City Council of Portsmouth declared its commitment to understanding cultural diversity. The city selected the Kiswahili word UMOJA, which means unity, as the name of the annual festival. Umoja is also the first principle of Kwanzaa that follows unity in the family, community, and nation.
It kicks off Saturday morning at 11:30 in Festival Park, by the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information visit the Umoja Festival website.