AFRAM Festival, Baltimore’s annual celebration of Black and African American culture, will run Aug. 15-22 and this year will be accompanied for the first time by AFRAM Restaurant Week.
The festival will return this month after city officials cancelled it in 2020 due to the coronavirus-related restrictions on large gatherings and other COVID-19 health guidelines.
Featuring a mix of in-person and virtual events, Baltimore’s AFRAM Festival is free to attend and open to people of all ages.
New this year, AFRAM Restaurant Week will run for the duration of the festival, from Aug. 15-22. More than 20 local Black-owned eateries partnered with the festival’s organizers to create special, AFRAM-specific dishes and beverages. For a full list of participating restaurants, visit aframbaltimore.com.
Starting Aug. 15, from 6-8 p.m., people will be able to tune in virtually as Mayor Brandon Scott and Chef Sean Guy of Water for Chocolate will cook up their favorite Sunday meals.
Following the cooking segment, there will be a panel discussion of soul food and Baltimore staples, such as wings, western fries, fried and broiled crab cakes, and vegan mac ’n cheese. The panel of Baltimoreans will include DJ AngelBaby; entrepreneurship consultant Raven Paris; Farajii Muhammed, host of the For The Culture with Farajii talk show on WEAA; and Aaron Dante, host of the podcast No Pix After Dark.
People can watch the foodie events online on Charm TV’s website, Charm TV’s television broadcast on Channel 25, and at aframbaltimore.com.
Druid Hill Park will host the AFRAM Gallery in-person art showcase on Aug. 16 from 6-9 p.m. Photos and historical pieces from past AFRAM festivals, as well as other art submissions, will be on display. Rufus Roundtree, Janelia Soul and other performers will provide live entertainment.
Get ready for a double feature movie night on Aug. 17 from 6-11 p.m. in Herring Run Park. “A Wrinkle in Time” and “One Night in Miami” will be shown, with each movie being followed by a panel discussion with local Black filmmakers. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or other seating, and enjoy food and drinks during a night of outdoor cinema.
Starting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 18, bicyclists are encouraged to ride to or in Druid Hill Park. Part of the park will be closed off from vehicular traffic, and the back roads will close at 8 p.m. After riding, bicyclists can enjoy an after party in the park with food, shopping with local makers, and music by DJ Ty Alexander. The event will run until 10 p.m.
The festivities will continue Aug. 19 from 3-10 p.m. in Cherry Hill’s Middle Branch Park, with food and live music. Attendees will be able to sample selections from some of Charm City’s food trucks and enjoy music by DJ Mighty Mark. There will also be a broadcast of the Cherry Hill Arts and Music Waterfront Festival from 3-5 p.m., followed by live performances by Baltimore transplant Navasha Daya, international soul singer Maysa, and others. The event is organized in partnership with the Youth Resiliency Institute, producers of the Cherry Hill Arts and Music Waterfront Festival.
The historic Shake & Bake Family Fun Center will host a party with skating, bowling, food, music and more on Aug. 20 from 5-10 p.m. Musician Pariz will perform a live concert. Admission and skate rentals are free for this event. Youth and family skate time will run from 5-7 p.m., followed by adult skate time from 7-10 p.m.
Rounding out this year’s festival will be a two-day, virtual AFRAM concert on Aug. 21 and 22.
Mooski, Wale and Busta Rhymes will perform on the first day of the concert, Aug. 21, from 6-9 p.m.
They will be followed on Aug. 22, also from 6-9 p.m., with performances by Smokie Norful, Marsha Ambrosius and Chaka Khan.
Both days of the concert will be viewable on Charm TV’s website, Charm TV’s television broadcast on Channel 25, WJZ’s website and aframbaltimore.com.
All in-person events will feature local food trucks with items to purchase and free kids kits.
Reginald Moore, executive director of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, said he “cannot wait for everyone to see what we have in store” for the AFRAM Festival, now in its 44th year.
“We want the residents of Baltimore and beyond to not only recognize, but experience the amount of brainstorming, effort and care that went into the execution of this years’ AFRAM Festival,” Moore said in a statement. “I am so proud to have a team of hard workers, a support system in Mayor Scott and the Baltimore City Council, partners who are always willing to lend us a hand, and a city of residents who are as passionate about the AFRAM Festival as we are.”
This year’s festival is sponsored in part by WJZ-TV (CBS Baltimore) and Baltimore City Public Schools.
