Run Richmond 16.19 - Friday, September 21st
2024-09-21 07:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | Kanawha Plaza, S 8th & E Canal St, Richmond, VA, Richmond, VA 23219, United States

Richmond Folk Festival: Textile Origin Stories - 9/28/2024
2024-09-28 13:00 - 17:00 | VA
Join us at the Richmond Folk Festival for a journey into the African origins of textiles and music! Explore indigo fabrics, kente cloth, African American quilts, and more. Engage with the ngoni, banjo, and the soulful sounds of the kora and djembe. Experience live demos, workshops, and performances by talented artists.
Let’s celebrate the richness of African cultural traditions together!

Richmond Folk Festival: Textile Origin Stories - 9/29/2024
2024-09-29 13:00 - 18:00 | VA

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival
2024-12-28 13:00 - 19:00 | Greater Richmond Convention Center – Exhibit Hall B, 5th & Marshall Streets, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Capital City Kwanzaa Festival December 28, 2024

Capital City Kwanzaa Festival presents performances, workshops, children’s activities, The African Market, food and more observe the year’s-end Kwanzaa holiday, a cultural affirmation of values, thanksgiving and growth. This event is the largest of its kind in Virginia, and therefore, one of the largest on the East Coast. Elegba Folklore Society’s Artistic Director first produced a Kwanzaa program in Richmond in 1986 and the Society first presented its festival in 1990. (Annually during the December Kwanzaa Holiday)

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Details

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Vending Application

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Volunteer Signup

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Parking

2024 Capital City Kwanzaa Festival Covid Protocols

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3rd Saturday Documentaries: Olympic Pride - American Prejudice
2025-03-15 17:00 - 20:00 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center will be hosting viewings of different documentaries of our little known yet largely influential history.
This week we will be showing Olympic Pride- American Prejudice, a documentary about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, at the height of racism and terrorism in Hitler’s Germany. We know the story of Jesse Owens well, come learn of 17 other African-American athletes that competed that same year.

Vision Doll Workshop
2025-04-05 10:00 - 15:00 | VA

The Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival - Survival Strategies
2025-05-10 15:00 - 19:00 | Pine Camp Arts Center, 4901 Old Brook Rd, Richmond, VA, 23227, United States
THE BLACK BOOK EXPO, A CONSCIOUS LITERARY FESTIVALSaturday, May 10, 3p – 7p, and Sunday, May 11, 3p – 7p

Richmond, VA • Elegba Folklore Society will present the 2025 Black Book Expo ⦿ A Conscious Literary Festival, May 10 – 11, 2025 at the Pine Camp Arts Center, 4901 Old Brook Road in Richmond, VA 23227. From 3p – 7p on both days,the mid-Atlantic regional public is invited to browse and buy books, experience live entertainment and meet both celebrity and independent authors. While this is a free family event, donations are cheerfully accepted. The suggested amount is $10.

The Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival will showcase a vast display of literature featuring topics including black history, social justice, science, health, African Diasporic culture, African spirituality, personal development, novels and children’s books.

Saturday’s theme, Survival Strategies, will feature a talk and chat with Anthony T. Browder from his book, Survival Strategies for Africans in America, 13 Steps to Freedom. Mr. Browder has authored or co-authored 15 publications which are currently used in classrooms around the world. Also a publisher, cultural historian, artist and an educational consultant, he has lectured extensively throughout the United States, Africa, Caribbean, Mexico, Japan and Europe, on issues related to African and African American History and Culture.

Recognized by RVA Dance Awards for Best African Choreography, Elegba Folklore Society’s African dancers and drummers will also appear. According to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Elegba Folklore Society consistently brings a great level of education, professionalism, artistry, expertise and thoughtfulness into each one of their performances and presentations. Elegba Folklore Society’s performances continually promote a dedication to education, artistic expression, incredible skillset and technique, while also helping to preserve cultural and artistic traditions.

On Sunday, the Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival turns to Honoring Our Mothers with a special array of books for women and musical love presented by songstress, Desirée Roots. Ms. Roots is a celebrated musical and theatre icon. With over 35 years of experience, she has showcased her triple-threat talent in the gospel, jazz and theatre regionally and internationally. Along the East Coast, Ms. Roots has performed with orchestras, jazz ensembles, and her own groups. As a Grammy-nominated recording artist, she has also produced shows like Ella at 100, celebrating Ella Fitzgerald’s centenary. In 2014, she received the Theresa Pollak Award for Vocal Excellence.

Children are invited to Kemi Abifarin’s, Calabash Experience. Through her story telling, Kemi Abifarin shares the greatness she sees in African American culture and community and uses that energy to encourage, inspire and invoke positivism on all levels. The tools she chooses are in words, stories, families and in personal medicines. Ms. Abifarin is listed on the Virginia Commission for the Arts and Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist Rosters. Also, an artist educator with the Richmond Performance Alliance, she was recognized as this group’s 2023 Support Artist of the Year.

Independent Authors will make presentations and sign their books. Live streaming will occur from the event, as well, via the Society’s Facebook page. Books will also be available on the Society’s website. If you are an independent author and would like to participate, please contact imani@efsinc.org.

The public may follow Elegba Folklore Society on Facebook and Instagram for updates. They may also contact the Society at 804.644.3900, story1@efsinc.org and find more details at www.efsinc.org.

This program is made possible, in part, by Dominion Energy, the City of Richmond and the Arts & Cultural Funding Consortium.

The Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival - Honoring Our Mothers
2025-05-11 15:00 - 19:00 | Pine Camp Arts Center, 4901 Old Brook Rd, Richmond, VA, 23227, United States

In the Footsteps of Maggie Walker
2025-07-12 12:00 - 16:00 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Elegba Folklore Society guides this cultural history tour as a contextual biography of Jackson Ward luminary, Maggie Lena Walker. Evolutionary from her birthplace in Church Hill to her elevation in Historic Jackson Ward, attendees have the chance to ponder black excellence and community building in early 20th century Richmond in light of its significance today. The tour concludes with a visit to Mrs. Walker’s home. Join us as we collaborate with the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in celebrating her 161st birthday!

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34TH Down Home Family Reunion A Celebration of African American Folklife
2025-08-16 16:00 - 23:00 | Abner Clay Park, Brook Road and West Clay Street, Richmond, 23219, United States
The Down Home Family Reunion returns Saturday, August 16, 2025 at Abner Clay Park in Richmond, VA. Celebrate African American folklife through music, dance, storytelling, food, and community.
Save the date — more details coming soon.

Our Souls Live Here
2025-09-13 12:00 - 16:00 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
This bus tour invites participants to visit sites of African American memory — homes, churches, schools, theaters and more. Hear the stories of the black architects who created lasting testaments of our presence. Learn of those who lived and worked inside, getting a glimpse of the times; of biography and social life. Feel hoisted by all who made something out of nothing, and then who passed the baton to us.

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What’s in a Memorial Park?
2025-10-18 12:00 - 16:00 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
During this tour, learn about Africa’s spiritual and architectural influences on the pristine, well-kept, centuries old grounds of Hollywood Cemetery. This space largely honors America’s forefathers, mostly Virginia natives, along with Confederate soldiers. Seeing the Kemetic architectural and mortuary practices in this cemetery helps us recognize the vast knowledge and innovation enslaved Africans brought from their homelands, honed for centuries prior in the the birthplaces of civilization, and used to build this nation. What’s in a memorial park? Take this tour to find out.

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In the Beginning Virginia, Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans
2025-11-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Evolutionary, experiential and visceral along the Trail of Enslaved Africans, attendees have the chance to ponder the impact of enslavement on the enslaved as shared in their own words and from their own view. Embarking by bus after a contextual visit to the Society’s cultural center, participants will walk in our ancestors’ footsteps from their arrival point at river’s edge into Shockoe Bottom, the sites of holding pens, jails, blocks and burial ground.
Hear the narratives of enslaved Africans & the historical record. There may be moments of discomfort and also opportunity to debrief. From our bus and along the walk, participants will have the chance to immerse themselves in past occurrences that impact our perspectives today.
Wear comfortable shoes and dress. Bring a bottle of water, and snacks are also suggested depending on health needs. After leaving the cultural center, the tour is outside and mostly in direct sun, in a wooded area along the river as well as in urban city settings. There will be a generous amount of walking.

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The Power of We: A Collaborative Dance and Drum Workshop
2025-11-15 12:00 - 16:00 | Richmond Movement Center, 14 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Umoja: Two Paths, One Purpose
“The Power of We” — A Collaborative Dance & Drum Workshop
Saturday, November 15, 202512:00 PM – 4:00 PMRichmond Movement Center14 E. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Join Ezibu Muntu and the Elegba Folklore Society for Umoja: Two Paths, One Purpose, a powerful dance and drum experience celebrating the unity found in rhythm, movement, and community.
This special workshop, “The Power of We,” invites participants to engage in an afternoon of cultural exchange and artistic collaboration led by two master artists — Souleymane Solo Sana of Mali and Docta Yew (Yuma Bellomee) of Washington, D.C.
Through the traditional dances of Mali and the dynamic rhythms of the African drum, participants will explore the interconnectedness of our collective spirit. Together, we will honor ancestral traditions while creating a shared experience of expression, healing, and joy.
About the Artists
Souleymane Solo Sana is an internationally acclaimed dancer from Mali, West Africa. A former principal member of Ballet du District de Bamako, he now directs Kono Gnaga, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional Malian dance and music. Solo’s teachings connect movement with meaning, offering participants an authentic and deeply rooted cultural experience.
Docta Yew (Yuma Bellomee) is a Washington, D.C.–based percussionist, herbalist, and educator. As founder of Ni Dembaya African Drum & Dance Ensemble, he brings the healing power of rhythm to communities across the region. His approach blends ancestral percussion with modern wellness and community building.
Join the Experience
Come ready to move, connect, and be inspired.All experience levels are welcome.
Register today by scanning the QR code on the flyer or visit the link below:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-power-of-we-a-collaborative-dance-and-drum-workshop
https://efsinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ezibumuntu_20251112_reel_3764401598241020223_1_3764401598241020223.mp4
✅ FREE parking is provided!
🚨 Heads up, fam! Because of the Richmond Marathon happening this Saturday, there will be road closures in various parts of Richmond city.
Our event at The Richmond Movement Center (14 E Broad St.) — right on the block between N. Foushee and 1st — is still ON! 🙌🏾 Just make sure to read the details in our reel, plan your route (use Waze app), and come early so you can park easily and enjoy the full experience.

CONVERGENCE — DANCE ■ DRUM ■ FOOD ■ CULTURE
2026-02-21 11:00 - 19:00 | Ballroom Pavilion of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 5th & Broad Streets, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
ELEGBA FOLKLORE SOCIETY PRESENTS
CONVERGENCE — DANCE ■ DRUM ■ FOOD ■ CULTURE
Plan to attend master classes happening in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, February 21, 11a – 7p, in the Ballroom Pavilion of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, downtown at 5th & Broad Streets. Let’s come together for rooted and fiery African dance and drumming classes. Stay to enjoy a dinner of delicious African food and meaningful conversation in this 100th Black History Month.
Click here for tickets.
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The instructors are:
Assane Konte | Adult Dance, Ages 11 & Up. The Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Choreographer and Costume Designer for the Washington, DC-based KanKouran West African Dance Company, is indigenous to Senegal in West Africa. His professional dance career began at age 15 with the Ballet Africaine de Diebel Gueye in Dakar. Mr. Konte came to the United States to pursue a career as an independent performer and worked with numerous dance companies as a musical arranger and choreographer. He has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, and he performs and teaches internationally and at universities in metro Washington. The Kennedy Center acknowledges, “Through his careful and meticulous choreography, Mr. Konte has elevated US-based African dance to the highest professional level.”
Fode Moussa Camara | Drum Master drummer, percussionist, folklorist, choreographer, exemplifies the preservation of West African traditions and the influence of these traditions on the world. Born into an artistic family in Conakry, Guinea, Camara honors his family and heritage through his expression of Guinea’s musical traditions and culture. A prodigy at an early age, he has claimed leading roles and is a featured artist as he tours extensively in Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Australia.
Samantha Salters | Adult Dance, Ages 11 & Up. Her vast dance experience includes West African and Caribbean dance forms but also jazz, Hip-hop, step and more. A native of Washington, DC, he is an Adjunct Professor of West African dance at Goucher College and the 2021 inaugural recipient of the Deal-Davis Commission presented by DanceAfrica DC. Ms. Salters’ work has led her to international destinations in Central America and West Africa.
Mayah Walker-Taylor | Children’s Dance, Ages 5 – 10. Trained in traditional West African dance under master teachers including Babatunde Olatunji, Ms. Walker-Taylor has performed on stages including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the MTV Video Music Awards with Busta Rhymes. She is the Artistic Director of the Ezibu Muntu African Dance Company. She is passionate about teaching children through cultural movement, storytelling, and joy—using dance as a powerful tool for expression, confidence, and connection. Ms. Walker-Taylor was deeply influenced by her mother, the late Faye Walker, former Artistic Director of Ezibu Muntu.
Class Schedule and Advance/Door Tuition:
10:30 Doors Open
11a Mayah Walker-Taylor’s Children’s Dance Class $10/$15 Ages 5 – 10
Noon Fode Moussa Camara’s Drum Class $20/$25 *
1:30p Samantha Salter’s Adult Dance Class $20/$25
3:00p Assane Konte’s Adult Dance Class $20/$25
5:00p Dinner & Conversation $20/$25
7p Doors Close
* Discounted purchases of any two $20 offerings are available for $35 in advance. At the door, purchases of any two $25 offerings are available for $40.
In advance, Day Passes are available for $70 in advance and $90 at the door. The children’s dance class is sold separately only.
Timed street parking is available and discounted all-day parking is available in the deck at 5th & Marshall Streets.
Let’s converge for a perfect day, coming together from different directions to a common point. A point of agreement. A point of joy, of cultural celebration, of energy, of affirmation.
Reserve your spot now! Space is limited, and it will cost a little more at the door.
Click here for tickets.
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2026 Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival (Day 1)
2026-04-11 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
The Black Book Expo 2026: A Conscious Literary Festival returns for a powerful two-day celebration of Black literature, culture, and community. Hosted at the Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center in Richmond, Virginia, this annual gathering brings together authors, readers, scholars, and families to explore stories and ideas rooted in the African Diaspora.
Join us on April 11 and April 12 for a dynamic experience featuring book vendors, author engagements, cultural discussions, and opportunities to discover works that educate, inspire, and empower. From history and spirituality to children’s literature and contemporary thought, the Expo offers something for every reader.
Whether you are building your personal library, connecting with Black authors, or seeking knowledge that uplifts and informs, the Black Book Expo is a space to learn, engage, and celebrate.
Location: Elegba Folklore Society Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA
Dates: April 11–12, 2026
Come be part of a meaningful cultural experience where books, history, and community come together.

2026 Black Book Expo, A Conscious Literary Festival (Day 2)
2026-04-12 | Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center, 101 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
