© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KBIA 91.3 FM will be at low power for a portion of the day on 3/29/2024 starting at 9:30 a.m. to accommodate a tower crew doing some maintenance on equipment

28th Annual St. Louis African Arts Festival Showcases Eclectic African Culture In Forest Park

St. Louis African Arts Festival organizers Gerald Brooks (at right) and Jason McNairy talked about what patrons can expect at this year's event in Forest Park.
Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis African Arts Festival organizers Gerald Brooks (at right) and Jason McNairy talked about what patrons can expect at this year's event in Forest Park.
St. Louis African Arts Festival organizers Gerald Brooks (at right) and Jason McNairy talked about what patrons can expect at this year's event in Forest Park.
Credit Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis African Arts Festival organizers Gerald Brooks (at right) and Jason McNairy talked about what patrons can expect at this year's event in Forest Park.

The 28th annual St. Louis African Arts Festival will return to the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park this weekend. Running Saturday through Monday, the festival aims to educate people in St. Louis about the wide ranges of cultures among African nations and the African diaspora.

On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, guest host Sharon Stevens talked with a couple of the festival’s organizers to explore what patrons can expect at the event, such as an African marketplace, movies, food, various cultural demonstrations, kids’ activities and more. 

Joining the discussion were Gerald Brooks, chair of the African Heritage Association of St. Louis, and JasonMcNairy, co-chair of St. Louis African Arts Festival board.

Brooks emphasized the authenticity of the event and said the event is similar to “walking into a village.”

“You hear it before you get there, and then you smell it before you get there – and then you see what’s going on,” he added.

Listen to the full conversation: 

Related Event

What: St. Louis African Arts Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 26; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, May 27, 2019

Where: World’s Fair Pavilion (1904 Concourse Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110)

Admission: Free

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan. The engineer is Aaron Doerr and the call screener is Charlie McDonald.

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.