Dance performances took place in the YMI in 2014.  Photo: Asheville Goombay! Festival
Dance performances took place in the YMI in 2014. Photo: Asheville Goombay! Festival

Asheville’s historic YMI Cultural Center will host the 35th Goombay Festival September 11-13, 2015 at Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville.

The festival will feature an eclectic musical lineup of national, regional, and local acts including Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Kat Williams, Free Flow, Al Coffee and Da Grind, and hip-hop legend Doug E. Fresh. Sunday’s festivities will include Gospel music from four local choirs, DJ Best Believe, and Chance the Rapper.

Hip-hop legend  Doug E. Fresh
Hip-hop legend Doug E. Fresh

As in the past, the festival will offer a diverse assortment of craft and food vendors, including many local businesses like the Haywood Lounge.

This year will also feature an expanded children’s area with workshops hosted by LEAF in School and Streets and the Asheville Art Museum, as well as dance performances by Studio Zahiya and the Urban Arts Institute.

The kickoff Goombay parade will take place on Saturday morning at Prichard Park.

Rita  Photo: Urban News
Rita Photo: Urban News

The City of Asheville ranks Goombay as one of four local anchor events where families, businesses, and communities from across the Western North Carolina region gather to celebrate the richness and diversity of the African Diaspora. The festival, which begin in 1980, attracts over 10,000 people throughout the weekend and garners national media coverage.

Goombay lives up to its West African name, meaning “rhythm or drum,” with eclectic sounds, vibrant, multicolored sights and the tantalizing aroma of exotic foods reflecting a multiplicity of cultures and traditions.

Please check for full schedule at www.ashevillegoombayfestival.com.

The YMI (ymiculturalcenter.org) opened its doors in 1893 as the Young Men’s Institute, established as a location for black men to improve their moral fiber through self–governance.

To learn more of sponsorship, vendor, and volunteer opportunities at Goombay Festival 2015, contact Sharon K. West at (828) 231-8907 or email her at [email protected].