{"id":5551,"date":"2022-07-06T14:20:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T14:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=5551"},"modified":"2022-07-06T14:25:08","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T14:25:08","slug":"coming-soon-the-17th-annual-african-american-festival-and-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/06\/coming-soon-the-17th-annual-african-american-festival-and-parade\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Soon! The 17th Annual African American Festival and Parade"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"By Dawn Scotland<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Truth Reporter<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Get ready for the 17th<\/sup> Annual African American Festival and Parade!<\/p>\n

This year, the annual festival will cover two weekends \u2013 July 15-16 and August 6 \u2013 with fun and entertainment for everyone.<\/p>\n

The first weekend kicks off with the community wide prayer breakfast (Friday, July 15) and parade (Saturday morning) ending in a free community day for the entire family (Saturday, July 16).\u00a0 The one-day music festival will then take place August 6 with a show-stopping lineup that the committee announced this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited about what we planned this year, we\u2019re excited about the direction that we\u2019re going in and we\u2019re most excited<\/em> about our line up\u2026\u201d said Ray Woods, chairman of the African American Festival Committee, as he opened the press conference on Tuesday, June 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re bringing our family day back,\u201d remarked Suzette Cowell, founder of the African American Festival and Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union. \u201cOur [music] festival has really grown but we want to bring some more interaction with our community\u2026 because that\u2019s why we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity built us. We have over 4800 members and that\u2019s all community members. We just want to get back to that and show them our appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through a very stressful time and this is the time to enjoy one another and show love,\u201d added Cowell.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s ready to see Toledoans excited to be together again, enjoying ourselves.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s theme is: \u2018Celebrating our History, Health and Education.\u2019 The 17th<\/sup> Annual African American \u00a0Festival events are:<\/p>\n

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Councilwomen Vanice Williams, Cerssandra McPherson and Tiffany Preston Whitman and Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz present plaque and key to the city to Shirley Murdock at 2021 Festiva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Annual Community Wide Prayer Breakfast <\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, July 15, 2022 from 8am-10am<\/em>
\n<\/strong>Glass City Metroparks’s Pavilion
\n1002 Front Street, Toledo Ohio 436050<\/p>\n

2022 Honorees:<\/em> Sonia Flunder-McNair, Sonia Organic and Urban Wholistics; Adam Levine, Toledo Museum of Art; Pastor Willie Perryman, NAACP; Suzanne Rorrick, Toledo Opera; David Ross, The Arts Commission; Councilwoman Vanice Williams, Toledo City Council District 4<\/p>\n

Mistress of Ceremonies will be Zahra Aprili Collins, program manager of TUFCU
\nTickets are $10 and can be purchased at Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union<\/p>\n

12th Annual African American Festival Parade (sponsored by Health Partners of Western Ohio)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, July 16th starting 10am – <\/em>FREE
\nParade route starts at the corner of Dorr Street & Detroit Avenue and will travel up Dorr Street towards
\nCollingwood; turn South (right) at City Park toward Indiana Ave; turn West (right) on Indiana Avenue and travel towards Detroit Ave ending at Nelson Grace Park located at Detroit Avenue and Indiana.<\/p>\n

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AA Parade 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

African American Festival Community Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, July 16 starting 12 pm-4 pm – FREE<\/em>
\nNelson Grace Park- Located at the Corners of Detroit and Indiana Avenues
\nA community fun day filled with family activities, entertainment, food, and fellowship will take place
\nimmediately following the parade. All activities will be free to attendees.
\nPartners for the event include Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI), City of Toledo Human Relations Commission, MetroParks Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, Heritage Academies, Lucas County Library, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio, Urban Wholistics; Roshawn Jones Enterprises LLC., Care Source, Frederick Douglass Center, City Park League.
\nActivities include: MetroParks Climbing Wall, Glass Blowing with TMA Baby Dragon, Inflatables, Horse Rides, Face Painting, Basketball and much more. There will also be a number of community organizations on site with information and resources for children and families.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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AA Parade 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2022 17th<\/sup> Annual African American Festival Line up:<\/u> <\/strong>(Saturday, August 6 at Promenade Park)<\/em><\/p>\n