33rd Down Home Family Reunion returning to Richmond’s Abner Clay Park for food, fellowship and fun

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A festival celebrating African American folklife is returning to Abner Clay Park in Richmond on Saturday, Aug. 17.

The 33rd Down Home Family Reunion, presented by the Elegba Folklore Society, will feature music from around the world, African-inspired cuisine and activities for children.

“We are intentional about building a cultural bridge from West Africa into the Americas — reconnecting African people everywhere through music and dance, through food, ways, traditions, through material culture and through just the unity that we have in historic Jackson Ward,” Janine Bell, president and artistic director for the Elegba Folklore Society, told 8News.

The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. and will begin with a performance from the Richmond-based Legacy Band on the Zeke Allison Main Stage. Other musical acts include Crank LuKongo, Kevin Davis & Ban Caribe, Wildfire, Jah Baba and New Birth Legacy.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Juanita Ragland Heritage Market, the Waverly Crawley Community Row, the Annie Tyler Children’s Place and interactive demonstrations.

Attendees are asked to not park in residential areas of Jackson Ward, with satellite parking locations available at George W. Carver Elementary School and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. A shuttle will be available to bring attendees around the park and back to the satellite parking locations.

Saturday’s celebration is from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and entry is free.

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