Worcester African Festival Hits Downtown Common Saturday

WORCESTER, MA — The Massachusetts Organization of African Descendants will host its annual Worcester African Festival on Saturday, offering a day of family-friendly cultural entertainment, shopping and food.

This year's festival will kick off around noon along Franklin Street and the common behind Worcester City Hall.

"Come and join us in celebrating the rich culture and diversity of the African Community in Worcester and throughout Massachusetts. The festival will showcase top-notch entertainment, including merchandise vendors, African food vendors, talented artists, DJs, and much more," MOAD said in a recent announcement about the festival.

Some of the performers at the 2024 festival include, Crocodile River Music, Afrobeat artist Raeme Jorifah, the Haitian step group Effortless Steppas, Robert Owiti, the Afrocongolesedance Troup and Nkumu Katalay & The LifeLongProject.

The 2024 event is MOAD's second festival, and is one of several events the organization hosts for local residents with ties to countries across the African continent. MOAD hosted its second New England African Business Forum in May, and a city council/school committee debate in the fall. MOAD got its start in 2020 addressing socioeconomic issues in its community during the pandemic.

The 2024 festival will run from noon to 5 p.m. Visit the MOAD Facebook page for more details on the festival.