This Labor Day weekend, the YMI will host the 40th Annual Goombay Festival, a celebration of Pan African heritage in Western North Carolina.
The free festival will be held on The Block (20-44 Eagle St, Asheville, NC 28801) in downtown Asheville on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 3-5, 2021. The festival will be open from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday, 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on Saturday, and 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on Sunday.
Asheville’s Goombay Festival has celebrated African & Caribbean heritage here in Western North Carolina. This year, celebrating 40th Goombay Anniversary! The festival celebrates the richness and diversity found in the food, music, and art across the African Diaspora.
“The Goombay Festival represents an opportunity to highlight the African American experience and the YMI’s role in crafting that experience. It continues to promote the historical legacy of the “Founding Fathers” to promote the entrepreneurial spirit of African Americans in Asheville, NC.” Says the YMI Board Chair Stephanie Swepson-Twitty.
The YMI Cultural Center hosts Goombay as one of its’ core components. It has five core components: community programming, community forums, an annual cultural festival, cultural exhibitions and programs to promote economic literacy.
In addition to hosting the festival, the YMI will also be holding an intimate event on Friday, September 3, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm to celebrate 40 years of Goombay and to formally launch the organization’s capital campaign. Held in the Ray Auditorium, Friday night will be a time for everyone to come together while toasting the past, present, and future of the YMI. Tickets to the special event are available on Eventbrite.
Visit ymiculturalcenter.org/goombay for additional information.
Prepared by the YMI Cultural Center.