Lexington’s fifth annual Swahili Day festival finds new home at Gatton Park

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) — The Lexington community came together Saturday to celebrate African culture at the fifth annual Swahili Day festival, which returned this year with a new home at Gatton Park.

The event united different generations through music, food and fashion, while vendors used the platform to raise awareness about global issues.

One vendor sold shirts calling for peace in the Congo. Eddy Irimva said the festival gives his community a chance to be heard.

“With just all the stuff that’s happening around the world and ,you know, especially in Africa, there’s a lot of stories that go unheard, and kind of getting us here in the center of the city at Gatton Park and allowing us to make all the noise we can,” Irimva said. “That’s what we need, and so it just makes me feel special. It makes it makes like the voices of my family members back home kind of heard.”

The event also featured a high school dance competition and a soccer village where kids competed in celebration of the FIFA World Cup.

Organizers are encouraging the community to continue supporting local African businesses long after the festival ends.