OMAHA, NE (KMTV) — Omaha is home to many cultures, and this weekend several of those cultures will be highlighted in a festival in Stinson Park.
"It's a great experience. Literally, we are taking you on a journey to Africa," said Chaima Maradi, owner of Chaima's African Cuisine.
This is the third year of Afro Fest Omaha, but it's already three times larger than ever before by including more cultures.
"We used to call the festival African Cultural Festival. This year we changed it to Afro Fest Omaha so we can bring all of the Afro-descendant cultures together. So, it's not just the African continent, but we are talking about the Jamaican, the West Indies, the Puerto Rican," said Folly Teko, an Afro Fest Omaha organizer.
To help teach children about different cultures there is an entire section of the festival dedicated to child education.
"It is important to educate young children and young generations about that background so that they can make educated decisions about their identity. They can better understand their personalities. They can better understand their own behaviors. Also, it is important for them to know about other cultures, not just theirs because knowing other cultures allows them to be more understanding friends," said Balkissa Mahamane, educator.
You can expect more Black-owned business vendors, authentic African cuisine, and special performers from all over the world.
"It's going to be fun. Come enjoy. Young kids, everyone is going to be dancing. Tons of shopping. I just got these earrings. There is more of that and African clothing," said Judy Kiagiri, an Afro Fest Omaha organizer.
Even though the event organizers plan on it being larger than ever before, there will be some COVID protocols in place.
"We are also having a COVID vaccine clinic for anybody who wants a COVID vaccine. We are going to be offering masks at the entrance. It is a ticketed event this year, so there is going to be one point of entry and we've reduced the number of people who can actually attend. So, if you haven't gotten your ticket, you might want to hop onto www.AfroOmaha.com," said Kiagiri.
Tickets are $10 for adults, and children 12 and under are free.
Afro-Fest-Omaha is this Saturday at Sinson Park from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.
