Come celebrate Portsmouth's 22nd Annual African-American Culture and Heritage Festival promoting cultural diversity and unity. Live music, vendors, food and much, much more.
 

2012 Umoja Festival SCHEDULE OF Events

FREE admission to all festivities except Saturday evening concert.

Friday, May 25:

• 5:30–6:00 p.m. – Processional / Opening Ceremony

Grand Marshal:
Ambassador (Ret.) Bismarck Myrick

 

 

 

• 6:00-8:00 p.m. – Reggie Gist Umoja Reception
• 6:15-9 - Good Life Band (Unity Stage)
• 9-11 - Eban Brown - Smooth Jazz Recording Artist; Stylistics Lead Singer
  (Umoja Stage)

Attendants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to enjoy FREE concerts.

Saturday, May 26:

• Kids Corner

Noon - 5:30 p.m.
Featuring a full assortment of traditional kids activities including special appearances from Andalo, the Children's Museum of Virginia Mascot, arts and crafts, giant inflatables, relays, parachute play, coloring contests, connect 4 challenge, checkers, tug-of-war, kids horseshoes, youth fitness challenge, and much more. All activities will be supervised by Portsmouth Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services Staff.

FREE Live Music on Unity and Umoja Stages:

• Noon-1:00 p.m. - Reggie Gist (Umoja Stage)
• 1:00-2:30 p.m. - The Wilson Night Project (Unity Stage)
• 2:30-4:00 p.m. - Rajazz (Umoja Stage)
• 4:00-5:30 p.m. - Against All Odds (Unity Stage)
• 5:30-7:30 p.m. - Fuzz Band (Umoja Stage)

Attendants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to enjoy FREE concerts.

Live on the nTelos stage

Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster or nTelos box office

• 7:30 p.m. - Fantasia and Joe (Thomas)

With Back to Me, Fantasia is asserting her power, as a singer and as a woman. After a time of struggle and uncertainty, she’s writing a new chapter by taking on the greatest challenge of them all: regaining confidence in herself. “There have been a lot of questions, a lot of press — ‘Who is she dating? Who is she with? Where is she at?,’” she says. “But I think this album will tell you everything you really need to know. We put our heart into every song.

Sunday May 27:

• Kids Corner

Noon - 5:30 p.m.
Featuring a full assortment of traditional kids activities including special appearances from Andalo, the Children's Museum of Virginia Mascot, arts and crafts, giant inflatables, relays, parachute play, coloring contests, connect 4 challenge, checkers, tug-of-war, kids horseshoes, youth fitness challenge, and much more. All activities will be supervised by Portsmouth Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services Staff.

FREE Live Music on Unity and Umoja Stages:

• 2:30-3:30 p.m. - Piney Grove Baptist Church (Umoja Stage)
• 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church (Umoja Stage)
• 4:00-5:00 p.m. - Eric Taylor (Unity Stage)
• 5:00-7:00 p.m. - Shirley Murdock (Umoja Stage)

Attendants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to enjoy FREE concerts.