The 28th Umoja Festival brought thousands downtown Saturday under near-ideal weather, as the community gathered for music, food and a demonstration of unity at King Commons.

With temperatures in the upper 70s and mostly sunny skies, conditions were comfortable for families, vendors and performers alike.

Crowds started arriving shortly after the 11 a.m. parade kicked off. People of all ages mingled at artisan booths, sampled food from different cultures and stopped to enjoy performances by regional bands.

“The significance of the program is to unite the community together,” said committee member Laura Terry. “The festival came about where we wanted to just bring some unity within the community, and in Swahili, Umoja stands for unity.”

Taylor Robertson/East Tennessean

The festival, now in its 28th year, featured support from ETSU and numerous local businesses. Terry said the partnership reflects the event’s mission to strengthen ties between the university and the wider community.

“It’s now expanded to where East Tennessee State University is helping sponsor the festival, along with a lot of community-sponsored businesses,” Terry said.

Organizers emphasized diversity in music, food and vendors, with a focus on showcasing local talent.

“Instead of bringing large entertainment, we decided to go with a lot of the locals that we have here in the area to show them off,” Terry said.

The event was free to the public and designed to highlight family fun and community connection.

“We want everyone to get along and for them just to come out and enjoy themselves,” Terry said. “It’s just a family fun festival. It’s very family-oriented.”

Taylor Robertson/East Tennessean

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