Festival on the Avenue: History. Culture. Tradition.
The inspiration for the Festival on the Avenue (FOTA) was originally based on the Bimbé Celebration, a West African Festival of Harvest. The Bimbé Celebration takes place after the season of harvest and entire villages gather to give thanks through dance, praise, and feasting. The spirit of sharing is the reason behind it all, as each family or tribe shares their best fruits (harvest) with the entire village. This tradition continues to be practiced in many villages throughout the Caribbean.
In the same spirit, FOTA celebrates the South Sumter community through the traditions of African American culture including family, food, and the arts. The family-friendly festival features traditional soul food, visual arts, crafts, dance, music, and the literary arts which all showcase the creativity and vitality we experience in the South Sumter community.
We believe the growth and development of an area is inextricably linked to how that community perceives itself in relation to its history and its current cultural realities. FOTA is a platform to both recognize the people and organizations from the South Sumter community and the positive influences they have contributed to South Sumter’s unique development and cultural identity. The festival offers a fun and meaningful opportunity to share the traditions and culture of South Sumter with the broader Sumter community and the younger generations.
The inspiration for the Festival on the Avenue (FOTA) was originally based on the Bimbé Celebration, a West African Festival of Harvest. The Bimbé Celebration takes place after the season of harvest and entire villages gather to give thanks through dance, praise, and feasting. The spirit of sharing is the reason behind it all, as each family or tribe shares their best fruits (harvest) with the entire village. This tradition continues to be practiced in many villages throughout the Caribbean.
In the same spirit, FOTA celebrates the South Sumter community through the traditions of African American culture including family, food, and the arts. The family-friendly festival features traditional soul food, visual arts, crafts, dance, music, and the literary arts which all showcase the creativity and vitality we experience in the South Sumter community.
We believe the growth and development of an area is inextricably linked to how that community perceives itself in relation to its history and its current cultural realities. FOTA is a platform to both recognize the people and organizations from the South Sumter community and the positive influences they have contributed to South Sumter’s unique development and cultural identity. The festival offers a fun and meaningful opportunity to share the traditions and culture of South Sumter with the broader Sumter community and the younger generations.
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