Odunde Festival, Philadelphia, PA

The Odunde Festival is one of the nation's largest festivals celebrating the African diaspora. It is located in Philadelphia and draws in half a million visitors annually. These visitors come from all over Pennsylvania and the nation. It is strategically located in the middle of one of Philly's oldest and historically African American neighborhoods. A 15-block stretch of the neighborhood is blocked off to create space for the festival. The festival is accessible to everyone. The festival acts as a direct connection to tourists and local businesses. On a deeper level, the festival connects people to cultures they had dreamed of learning. The festival creates relationships to individuals and their ancestry. I believe that a festival with the power to have this impact is worthy of significant praise. I have never been able to visit this festival, but it definitely was one that I have always wanted to visit.

Sources: https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/events/odunde-festival/ & https://www.odundefestival.org/about.html