Celebrate Kwanzaa

NYC’s largest Kwanzaa festival returns for its 18th year—a week-long celebration of African heritage and culture.

Join daily candle lightings, watch youth performances, and take part in dance, drumming, and art workshops inspired by Kwanzaa’s seven principles. 

Presented with Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation. 

SCHEDULE

Daily Dance Workshops

🕒 All Days: 12:00 pm – 12:25 pm, 3:30 pm – 3:55 pm

Learn new rhythms and move your body at dance lessons featuring live drumming. Every day highlights a new style!

Djembe Drumming

🕒 All Days: 12:45 pm – 1:10 pm, 4:00 pm – 4:25 pm

Join us in this fun, interactive percussion workshop to learn about the importance of and how to play the Djembe (“JEM-bay”), the iconic West African drum.

Herb Sensory Explorer Table

🕒 Monday: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Join Brooklyn Supported Agriculture for a sensory exploration of fresh herbs, discovering unique textures, scents, and shapes up close. Through hands-on play, fun facts, and cultural connections, kids learn how these plants grow, smell, and flavor foods from around the world.

Kwanzaa Cookie Decoration

🕒 Saturday: 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm, 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Join Je T’aime Bakery to decorate your own Kwanzaa themed cookies! 

Procession to Auditorium

🕒 All Days: 10:30 am – 10:40 am, 2:30 pm – 2:40 pm

Meet in the lobby for a parade to our Auditorium led by Moko Jumbie stilt walkers and drummers.

Rise Up! Interactive Kwanzaa Concert and Candlelighting

🕒 All Days: 10:45 am – 11:10 am, 2:45 pm – 3:10 pm

Rise Up! immerses audiences in the sights and sounds of Kwanzaa traditions through a lively, participatory performance filled music, dance, and cultural symbolism. The performance features Djembe and Caribbean folk percussion, African diasporic dance traditions, and an interactive Kwanzaa song inviting everyone to clap, move, and engage as we, the significance of Kwanzaa, and the power of unity and creativity.

Unity Cups

🕒 All Days: 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Join ColorLab and make your own Kikombe cha Umoja or unity cup. 

Sink or Swim

🕒 All Days: 10:30 am – 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Why do some things float but other things sink? This month in Nature’s Engineers we’re learning how to make things float – even really heavy things. Build your own floating structures, and test their buoyancy and stability!