Richmond, VA – Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond’s Cultural Ambassador, will present the 2020 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival in a virtual edition. Instead of the usual one-day in-person event, the virtual edition will stream nightly, Saturday, December 26 – Friday, January 1st at 7:00 p.m. Attendees can visit www.efsinc.org to join.
The 2020 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival presents a carefully planned series of events that please the palette of attendees and capture the spirit and the significance of the Kwanzaa holiday, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, now in its 54th year.
The festival’s nightly features are alive alternatively with music, dance and message presented to strengthen families and galvanize the community. The African Market will be open with food and shopping. Children are invited to Watoto Kwanzaa, and the Nia Sessions engage holiday reflections in this nationally recognized observance of the Kwanzaa (quahn-zah) holiday. The Capital City Kwanzaa Festival is one of the largest Kwanzaa celebrations on the east coast. Because of it, Dr. Karenga has said, “Richmond is a major center for the celebration of Kwanzaa; it is an important site of African American history and culture, and it has been a very welcoming and enjoyable experience for my wife, Tiamoyo, and me.”
The Ancestral Libation and Candle Lighting Ceremony sets the tone for each evening. Attendees are invited to come and experience the Kwanzaa holiday right from the start. To observe this Pan-African holiday of unity, strength, clarity and solidarity based on reconnection with essential African value systems, the 2020 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival’s thematic focus is “Love & Endurance.” which acknowledges the natural tendencies of African people.
While some of what 2020 has dramatically revealed occurred in an organic, real-time environment, much as been absorbed virtually. And, while this event is indeed virtual because we cannot gather in person, the 2020 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival intends to
embrace people in “Love & Endurance,” as a reminder and a prophecy.
