African Culture Festival logo
The African Culture Festival, on hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic, returns to Brown Deer Park (7835 N. Green Bay Road) to celebrate native African heritage. The festival takes place July 6 from noon to 7 p.m., at Brown Deer Park picnic areas 2 and 3.
The free, family friendly, pet friendly event will showcase the heritage, food, dance and attire of 16 African nations of whom their people reside in Milwaukee. It will also address the charitable needs of Milwaukee’s African refugees and immigrants by collecting donations to support educational programs.
The African Culture Festival is organized by Cameroon native Yollande Tchouapi (founder of the Afro Fusion line of spices and sauces, and the former Irie Zulu restaurant in Wauwatosa) along with African community members Cordelia Ekwueme and Reine M. Asana.
Tchouapi affirms that while Milwaukee is the City of Festivals and celebrates cultures of the world through events such as the Holiday Folk Fair, there hasn’t been for the longest time anything that commemorates native African heritage.
“Milwaukee is a city of festivals, a city that embraces culture when it’s presented in a way that everybody can participate,” says Tchouapi. “When you have something that appeals to community building, appeals to connection, appeals to sharing culture, appeals to promoting diversity, and appeals to something great about us, as a people, it builds connection, culture and community.”
There are approximately 8,000 members of Milwaukee’s African community,
According to Tchouapi. African Culture Festival attendees can look forward to the Parade of Nations, in which each nation’s regalia will be represented; a community walk; traditional dance by the Umu-Ada dance troupe from Nigeria, and the Nefertari African Dance/Drum Company, in Milwaukee; the Taste of Africa food sampler; a fashion show; food vendors; kids activities; music with traditional African instruments; and vendors featuring traditional African arts, crafts, jewelry and fabric.
Delicacies from Africa and Beyond
Tchouapi curated the spread of African delicacies. Many regions of the African continent will be represented, along with cuisine from the African diaspora, such as American soul food and Jamaican foods.
Many of the chefs and cooks preparing the food for the festival are home cooks, caterers and up-and-coming food entrepreneurs, notes Tchouapi. The festival will feature food from the East African nation of Eritrea, along with cuisine from Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea and Nigeria. “For the first time in the festival, we’ll have Egyptian food,” Tchouapi adds.
The festival is a celebration of the African cultures that make Milwaukee home, but Tchouapi reiterates that it serves a broader purpose—raising funds for refugee programs. The festival will create opportunities for various businesses that are showcased to share their mission and goals with the public. She anticipates that the festival will gain traction and become a yearly event that will grow.
“The festival will raise awareness about the plight of native Africans in the area and showcase their heritages, the beauty of native African culture, and how their cultures have the potential of contributing to the vibrancy of the city. People come to Milwaukee because of the people, its festivals and culture. The more, the merrier!”
Although Irie Zulu has closed, Tchouapi is working on some exciting new ventures that will bridge food, culture and community. Watch future Shepherd Express Eat/Drink columns for more information.
For more information or to get involved with donations or sponsorships, visit africanstakeholdersinc.org/African-cultural-festival or facebook.com/africanculturalfestivalinmilwaukee.
