Community Corner

Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival Events Gear Up Downtown

Events include a street festival and a 5K walk.

From Kendra Cummings of Vistra Communications:

The 13th Annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival activities continue with nine great events taking place between today and Tuesday, Jan. 22.  Most of the following family-friendly events are free and open to the public.

The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival is a 10-day cultural event that features speakers, musicians, artists, poets and craftspeople locally and nationally. The Festival takes place January 17-26 in Tampa Bay.

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Festival activities occur during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. Each day of this experience provides both children and adults with an opportunity to increase their awareness of African and African-American culture and history. This event promotes diversity and cultural sensitivity within the Tampa Bay area community.

Here's a rundown of the festival's schedule:

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Friday, Jan. 18

• The Heritage Gala starts at 8:30 p.m. and features Stogie Kenyatta and his acclaimed one-man show as “Paul Robeson.” Popular topics Kenyatta covers include diversity and social justice. The gala will be held at the Straz Center located at 1010 N. Macinnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602. Denise White from Fox 13 Tampa Bay will host the semi-formal gala. The Dinner Reception begins at 6:30. Purchase tickets at TampaBlackHeritage.org/black-heritage-gala/.

Saturday, Jan. 19

• This 5K Walk for Health emphasizes healthy living and is dedicated to the memory of Felecia Wintons-Taylor, a founding member of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival; registration starts at 7:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 8:45 a.m. at Curtis Hixon Park, located at 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, FL 33602.

•  Street Festival Old School Saturday will be held from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Curtis Hixon Park and features recording artists Con Funk Shun, Klymaxx, and DeAndre Brackensick (American Idol finalist), as well as local, live entertainment. The Street Festival is the centerpiece of the 10-day celebration and includes delicious food, merchandise vendors and six Villages: Authors’Village, Artists’ Village, Greek Village, Health Village, Children’s Village and Corporate Village. The event is hosted by Patrick S. Hunter, also known as “Tango,” from the VH1 reality show, “I Love New York” and Anjali Queen B of 95.7 The Beat radio station.

• Saturday events will conclude with the “Let’s Goooooooo Skate Party” featuring DJ Jammin from Philadelphia. The party will be held from 11 p.m.- 3 a.m. at Skate World, located at 7510 Paula Drive Tampa, FL 33615.

Sunday, Jan. 20

• Sunday festivities will kick off with the Plant City MLK Leadership Breakfast with guest speaker Elder Joe Nathan Halman, Jr. The breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and will be held at Hillsborough Community College Plant City Campus at Trinkle Building, 106 Park Road, Plant City, FL 33563.

• The Street Festival continues afterwards at 11 a.m. with Gospel-Jazz Sunday featuring Eric Darius, Paige in Full, Nathan Mitchell and local, live entertainment including Carrollwood's Bible-Based Fellowship Church choir.

•  Sunday night will wrap-up with the Black Girls ROCK Party, held from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. at Skate World, featuring Mz. DJ Tone of Chicago.

Monday, Jan. 21, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

•  The TOBA (Tampa Organization on Black Affairs) Leadership Breakfast will be held at 6:45 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, 211 N. Tampa St. Tampa, FL 33602, with speaker Delano Stewart.

• The 7th Annual Heritage Golf Classic has a Tee Time an 8:30 a.m. at the Quail Hollow Golf Course- 6225 Old Pasco Road Wesley Chapel Fl 33544. . Register for the golf classic at http://tampablackheritage.org/golf-classic-fundraiser/.

Tuesday, Jan 22

• Heritage Living History Exhibit Reception will feature civil rights activists Harry and Harriette Moore. The Kotler Art Gallery in the John F. Germany Public Library will host the exhibition reception at 7 p.m. at 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, FL 33602. 

Major sponsors of the 13th Annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival include: Nielsen Company, AAA Auto Club, WTVT Fox 13 Tampa Bay, City of Tampa, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), Tampa Tribune and the Tampa Theatre.

For more information about Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival and a full list of events, visit the website at www.TampaBlackHeritage.org, www.Facebook.com/TBBHF or contact William Sanders at 888.224.1733 or 813.325.2539.

Do you plan to go to the festival? Tell us in the comments.


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