For the fifth year in a row, Ghanaians in the Cincinnati area celebrated their cultural and heritage at Ghana Fest.
The festival was held at Fairfield's ICFC Assemblies of God Church in late August, and was sponsored by the Ghana Fest Council and the Ghanaian Men's Club.
Ghanaians are widely dispersed throughout the world, and the festival was held, in part, to remind attendees of their shared heritage, and to share that heritage and culture with others. The festival's theme was “uniting for progress”, and everyone was invited to attend, whether of Ghanaian descent or not.
There were many food vendors at the festival, sharing traditional Ghanaian dishes in an event called ‘Food for Thought’. In addition, artists performed traditional dances and drumming exhibitions, and staged a fashion show. Attendees were invited to play traditional African games and take a chance on winning a prize in a raffle drawing. A dance competition was also part of the day, with prizes going to the best dancers of adowa, kete, azonto, and highlife dances.
The day's special guest was the chief of the Ghanaian Community of Cincinnati, Nana Senti Nyame 1.
Since music and dance are such a huge part of the celebration, organizers could work with a banner printing company to create flags, suitable for outdoor use, to add to the color and fun.
