African Festival Set for Portland on September 16

PORTLAND---The annual African Festival, a celebration of the beauty of African culture and community, will be held at the Guild Hall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located on 307 Congress Street in Portland, on Saturday, September 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival will be preceded by a Mass at the Cathedral at 4 p.m.

The event will feature a variety of music, dancing, and foods from many African countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon, Sudan, and Angola.

Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 13 and seniors. To purchase tickets to the popular event, call the parish at 207-773-7746. The proceeds will benefit the benevolent efforts of Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish on Mellen Street in Portland. The parish provides countless community programs, social justice presentations, and workshops for local residents. In addition, the parish’s food pantry distributes close to 3,000 pounds of food each week and when in need, hundreds in the neighborhood turn to the parish for clothes and household items.

The vibrant spirit of the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes and their advocacy for the poor and marginalized are well-known throughout the city. For decades, parishioners have arrived in Maine from many African and Central American countries and joined the Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes to create a community of praise in which all are welcome.

For more information about the festival, contact Francine at 207-618-3292 or John at 207-347-9844.