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Ann Arbor’s African American Downtown Festival celebrates 26 years on Saturday

A food vendor at Ann Arbor's African American Downtown Festival.

ANN ARBOR – Kick off summer in Ann Arbor this Saturday with the 26th African American Downtown Festival.

Festival organizers will open up vendor booths and kick off a day of music, dance and activities starting at 9 a.m.

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The festival was created 26 years ago by Community Leaning Post founder Lucille Hall Porter as a way to recognize and celebrate local Black businesses and business leaders.

This year, attendees can shop from local and regional vendors, grab a bite to eat, or watch performances on the main stage until 8 p.m.

The festival will take over East Ann and North Main streets with music, a magic show, kid’s corner fun, a fashion showcase and performances throughout the day. Vendors will be selling beauty products, clothing, jewelry, handmade arts and food.

Those scheduled to be on stage include the Ypsilanti Community High School choir, Arbor Preparatory High School band, saxophonist Aaron McAfee, gospel singer Anthony McKinney and singer/songwriter Alise King.

The event will be headlined by Danny Clay and the Luther Vandross Experience, who will perform at 5:30 p.m.

Find the full lineup, along with vendor details, here.


About the Author
Sarah Parlette headshot

Sarah has worked for WDIV since June 2018. She covers community events, good eats and small businesses in Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University.

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