PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 2023 – ODUNDE is the largest Black and African cultural festival in the country. The vibrant annual celebration culminates in a massive street festival that welcomes up to 500,000 attendees, bringing a genuine taste of Africa to South Street and to one of Philadelphia’s oldest, historically Black neighborhoods.

Founded in 1975, the enormous festival takes over a 15-block radius in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood, gathering hundreds of vendors and thousands upon thousands of visitors from around the world.

The festival also regularly hosts internationally recognized African and Caribbean performers, VIPs, folk artists and other cultural leaders.

ODUNDE this year showcases a week of events from June 5 to 11, 2023, with the ODUNDE Street Festival set to take place on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

The Experience

Every year, ODUNDE — named after the Yoruba word that means “Happy New Year” — features a week of programs and events leading up to a big celebratory street festival, drawing vendors from various African and Caribbean nations and from across the country.

During the street festival, streets in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood are blocked off to make way for thousands of attendees to enjoy the open-air celebration. Festivalgoers can stroll a 15-block radius centered on the intersection of 23rd and South streets.

The food is a huge attraction at the ODUNDE festival, with a variety of vendors rarely seen at other regional festivals serving all sorts of African, Caribbean and soul food dishes.

More than 100 vendors sell crafts, clothing, jewelry and more. Beyond shopping from local vendors, the festival’s African marketplace promises authentic items from Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil.

A packed schedule of live music and performances also takes place on two designated stages throughout the festival.

2023 Highlights

ODUNDE Street Festival

The blockbuster ODUNDE Street Festival takes place around a 15-block radius centered on the intersection of 23rd and South streets on Sunday, June 11, 2023. The event is free to attend, with pay-as-you-go food and refreshments.

Street festival highlights include:

• More than 100 vendors selling handmade goods, including jewelry, artwork and clothing
• A colorful procession across the South Street Bridge to the Schuylkill River at noon, featuring traditional offerings of fruit and flowers to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river, and
• A day full of traditional food, music and dancing spanning Black, African, Caribbean and South American cultures including a must-see performance from Grammy winner Chrisette Michele on the main South Street stage at 7 p.m.

ODUNDE Week Events

Ahead of the main celebration, the ODUNDE Festival also includes a full week of programming from June 5 to 10, 2023. Events include:

• an ODUNDE yoga class (June 6, 2023) and fashion program (June 8, 2023), and
• a global leader African roundtable (June 9, 2023) and a Caribbean business roundtable (June 10, 2023)

Getting to the Street Festival

The ODUNDE Street Festival on Sunday, June 11 draws major crowds each year. On this day, parking along South Street and in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood will be tight. Luckily, you’ve got your choice of transportation options.

SEPTA’s #7, #12, #17 and #40 buses all run along the festival area, and the Broad Street Line’s Lombard-South subway station leaves you just a short walk away from the fun. Or you can take advantage of the Indego Bike Share docking stations, including one right along the festival’s edge at 19th & Lombard Streets.

For the full festival map, check out the official Odunde Festival website.

History

​​ODUNDE is the creation of its South Philadelphia founder, Lois Fernandez, who launched the festival after visiting similar celebrations in Africa. The concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa, and celebrates the coming of another year for African Americans and Africanized people around the world. The event is recognized globally as one of the original models for African American festivals.

ODUNDE, Inc. is an educational and cultural organization that sponsors year-round programs celebrating the African diaspora. Along with the annual ODUNDE Festival (the organization’s staple event), ODUNDE hosts ODUNDE365, a series of year-round African American cultural programming including African dance & drumming classes, entrepreneurship programs and more at schools, community centers and other venues.

For more information on the festival, visit the official Odunde Festival website.

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