African World Festival returns to Hart Plaza for its 41st year

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History returned its African World Festival to Hart Plaza from July 12 to 14, marking the 41st year of the downtown celebration. The museum, which organizes the festival, expected the three-day run to draw close to 20,000 people.

The festival ran free for museum members. Single-day general admission for non-members was $15 for adults and $10 for seniors 65 and older and for students over 13, per the museum. Children under 13 got in free.

The Wright billed the weekend around the line "Culture. Family. Fun." The museum describes the festival as a three-day celebration of culture, history, and community that honors the legacy of the African diaspora, and counts it among the largest events of its kind in the country.

The 2024 lineup mixed touring acts with Detroit talent. Jamaican reggae-fusion group Third World headlined, with American rapper Rapsody also on the bill. South African singer Thandiswa Mazwai and New Orleans funk band Dumpstaphunk played, along with Mokoomba, Vox Sambou, Larry Lee, Fyütch, and Charity.

Detroit acts filled out the schedule, including Drey Skonie and The kLOUDs Band, Allen Dennard, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and the TeMaTe Institute for Black Dance and Culture. Several performances were geared toward children.

Beyond the stages, the festival featured vendors selling food, clothing, and health products, plus live demonstrations and community resource tables across the plaza.

The museum traces its roots to 1965, when Detroit physician Dr. Charles H. Wright founded it. It has grown into one of the largest institutions dedicated to African American history in the country. The festival remains its signature public event.

Hart Plaza is at 1 Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.