African Festival - Portland

The annual African Festival, a celebration of the beauty of African culture and community, will be held at the Guild Hall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located on 307 Congress Street in Portland, on Saturday, August 23, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival will be preceded by a Mass at the Cathedral at 4 p.m.

The event will feature a variety of music, dancing, and foods from many African countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon, Sudan, and Angola.

The proceeds will benefit the Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish building restoration on Mellen Street in Portland. The parish provides countless community programs, social justice presentations, and workshops for local residents. In addition, the parish’s food pantry distributes close to 3,000 pounds of food each week and when in need, hundreds in the neighborhood turn to the parish for clothes and household items.