Written by Staff Writer-Now Moments TIMES
The air around Carroll Creek Park will be thick with spice and sound on Saturday, Sept. 20, when the Taste of Africa Festival returns to Frederick for a full day of food, music, and cultural exchange. From Ethiopian coffee poured at dawn to drumbeats echoing at nightfall, the 12-hour celebration is designed to immerse visitors in traditions that stretch across the continent.
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Launched by the Sankofa Foundation, Inc., the festival highlights the breadth of Africa’s culinary and cultural heritage in one public space. Organizers describe it not as a food fair alone but as a way for people in the region to experience how cuisine, art, and performance connect. General admission is free, with food, crafts, and merchandise available for purchase. For those seeking a more curated encounter, a ticketed fine dining experience adds a formal element to the day.
Food remains the centerpiece. Visitors can begin with coffee and tea ceremonies from Ethiopia and Kenya, paired with pastries from across the continent. A food court will feature dishes representing multiple African and Caribbean countries: smoky grilled meats, bright stews layered with spice, and fried plantains crisped to caramel edges. Cooking demonstrations throughout the day will offer step-by-step looks at how such meals come together, blending instruction with the aromas of open-air kitchens.
But Taste of Africa is as much about sound as it is about flavor. The music lineup spans genres and geographies. Nee Oseye Ade Leke, a multi-award-winning Afrobeat and Highlife artist, brings the popular rhythms of West Africa. Cheick Hamala Diabate, a Grammy-nominated griot from Mali, anchors the day with strings and storytelling that connect modern audiences to centuries-old traditions. The program also includes Dogo Du Togo & The Alagaa Beat Band, whose percussive sets channel the energy of coastal West Africa into an outdoor stage. Together, the performers promise a soundtrack that moves between contemporary beat-driven dance tracks and the layered melodies of ancient forms.
For families, the festival doubles as an interactive classroom. Drumming and dance workshops introduce children and youth to techniques that are both art and history, taught in a style that invites participation rather than performance. A family quiz called “What Do You Know About Africa?” adds another layer, offering prizes while challenging participants to test their knowledge of geography, culture, and current affairs.
The marketplace will extend beyond food. Local and regional vendors are expected to line the park with handmade jewelry, textiles, books, and other goods that reflect African and diasporic creativity. Organizers frame this aspect of the festival as a bridge, giving small businesses visibility while giving visitors a chance to take home tangible pieces of culture.
Running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the festival is structured as an open invitation: come for a few hours or stay through the evening concerts. By blending culinary traditions with live performance and participatory workshops, it aims to create a space where residents of Frederick and beyond can encounter Africa in ways that are immediate and personal.
For Sankofa Foundation, the event reflects a mission rooted in both celebration and education, but once people sit down to eat, they begin to see how much more there is to learn. That spirit of connection has made Taste of Africa more than a local food festival. It is an evolving cultural platform that uses flavor, rhythm, and conversation to expand how people in the region understand one another.
Taste of Africa takes place Saturday, Sept.20th, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Carroll Creek Linear Park, 50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick, Md.
General Admission is free, with food and merchandise available for purchase.
Details, including VIP dining reservations, are available at sankofafoundationinc.net.
