South of South: Outside at Odunde

Each year up to 500,000 people gather in South of South Street Philadelphia to celebrate the annual Odunde festival.

The Odunde festival covers over 12-city blocks and is packed with vendors, musicians and food stands selling hand crafted jewelry, sculptures and artwork.

The festival is hosted by Odunde, Inc., a cultural organization which works to spread enrichment in the African-American community throughout the world. It was founded by Oshunbumi Fernandez and celebrates another year for African-Americans and Africans.

Odunde is the largest celebration of African and African-American culture in the United States and the oldest African-American street festival in the world.

Merchants and performers from various African countries, Brazil and the Caribbean travel to Philadelphia each year with handmade goods. One can purchase anything from fried fish, music from local artists and hand carved sculptures.

“The festival for me marks the start of summer each year,” said Elayne Treese, Philadelphia resident. “South Street is transformed into a cultural Mecca for one day.”

Odunde extends to the Schuylkill River where an offering is made of fruit and flowers to the

Goddess of the River. Philadelphia celebrates the Odunde festival each year on the second Sunday in June.