Over the past weekend, the Umoja festival returned to Johnson City in an effort to bridge and unify diverse cultures through education and artistic presentations of art, culture and heritage to improve the the local community and region.
For the past 23 years, the Umoja Arts and Cultural Inc. has provided Northeast Tennessee with a variety of entertaining and educational opportunities in order to strengthen the community. Unity is the core focus of this long-standing festival with decades of successful celebrations.
The three-day festival had an abundance of various foods, vendors, local crafts, information booths, cultural music, as well as a children’s area displaying bounce-houses and a petting zoo. The events took place downtown on Main Street.
The weekend was packed with entertainment ranging from stilt-walkers to musical guests, such as ETSU’s very own H-TOWN. Salsa dancing, drum circles, DJ sets, tribute bands, gospel showcases and many other acts provided the festival with life in many different forms.
Multiple stages were set up along main street to ensure optimal viewing and enjoyment for those in attendance. Unity was created in the downtown area, as audience members were found out of their seats and dancing in the middle of the street during each performance.
“This is a town that has deep roots in Appalachian history and culture, but other people live here too,” said Jasmine Henderson, recording secretary of UMOJA Arts and Cultural Inc. “I feel as though some of the cultures that resonate in this region get downed out. This festival is one way to highlight the diversity of this community.”
Henderson hopes for larger displays of representation for an expanding amount of cultures to progress in the years to come.
