Annual AFRAM festival highlights Baltimore spirit, culture, and pride

BALTIMORE -- The city of Baltimore is still buzzing after a weekend of lively celebrations at the annual AFRAM Festival. 

Held at Druid Hill Park, the event drew thousands of attendees from near and far, all gathered to honor and revel in Baltimore's rich Black culture.

"It celebrates the blackness, the fullness, the richness of our city...it gives you tingles through your soul," said one festival-goer. 

Attendees indulged in the vibrant array of activities on offer, from listening to music to savoring local cuisines and admiring artworks by talented local artists.

The musical offerings were a major highlight of the festival, featuring Baltimore club music, performances by the Isley Brothers, Maryland native Tamar Braxton, and a variety of other artists who kept the crowd dancing throughout the weekend.  

"It's like a big family," DJ Kid Capri said in reference to the Baltimore crowd. "Everybody just knows each other, but they look like they were having a good time - it's about people having fun."

But the festival was more than just a good time. It was also a celebration of the fabric of what makes Baltimore a cultural hub.  "You have a great recipe just like Old Bay and crabs, just like crab cakes in Baltimore, AFRAM is a part of that culture," Mayor Brandon Scott said.  

Echoing this sentiment, Ivan Bates declared, "It celebrates who we are, it celebrates our roots, it celebrates our blackness, the fullness and the richness of our city. It celebrates not just who we are, what we are, but where we've been but where we're going."

That sense of communal pride and historic connection was evident throughout the event, from the expressions of the attendees to the words of the vendors.

"It gives you tingles in your soul, it just gives us an opportunity to commune and just be together and let the spirit of our ancestors take over," shared one vendor at the event.  "It informs us of what used to go down years ago, but now it's great that we're turning everything around and getting into the spirit of good stuff.", a festival attendee said. 

Indeed, the AFRAM Festival proved once again to be a pivotal gathering for the city, fostering unity, pride, and a vibrant celebration of Baltimore's Black culture.