After two years of study with local cultural leaders, the Board of Governors of the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is proud to present its inaugural Festival in downtown Raleigh over Labor Day weekend. This celebration of African American art and culture will take place on City Plaza, Charter Square and along the 400 block of Fayetteville Street on September 4 and 5, 2010.

On Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM attendees will enjoy an African American arts and crafts market, specialty items and food vendors. A family-friendly Village featuring performances and educational, interactive programming for school-aged children will occupy Charter Square, adjacent to City Plaza. The traditional performance company, Magic of African Rhythm, will lead the children’s festivities.

City Plaza, Raleigh’s “public living room,” is the site for the Main Stage. Local, regional and nationally recognized acts will enliven the Festival site both days. Audiences will enjoy numerous performances of traditional and contemporary African and American American music and dance including Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble; the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, a band born in the camps of West Africa with a sound mixing home-grown beats from West Africa roots-reggae and Western-influenced rhythm and blues; New Orleans’s up and coming Soul Rebels Brass Band; and the Festival finale “The Godfather of Go-Go” Music Chuck Brown and his large band. Performances are scheduled from Noon – 10:00 PM Saturday and Noon – 6:30 PM Sunday.

The African American Cultural Festival is made possible by the generous support of the City of Raleigh, Progress Energy, Time Warner Cable, WRAL-TV5 and numerous other corporate sponsors. The Festival is free and open to the public. For a complete list of performances, activities and an up-to-date Festival schedule visit www.aacfralwake.org.