Music, shopping, food and fun, all in the name of culture

Downtown Ann Arbor will be filled with music, food, and shopping this weekend during Ann Arbor’s African American Downtown Festival. The fest will feature vendors from local small businesses offering everything from jewelry, to clothing, and of course food. One of the food vendors who will be on-site is “Tabor’s Smokin’ Soul Food,” and the chef Arron Darkins, stopped by “Live in the D,” to give a glimpse of what visitors can expect.

“We specialize in comfort food,” he said. They have traditional soul food dishes like fried catfish, mac and cheese and more, as well a creole fare like red beans and rice, and gumbo.

In addition to all the fun activities, there will also be storytelling, which will tell the history of how the festival was founded nearly 30 years ago. “This area of Ann Arbor was known as the black businesses district in the 50s and 60s. These locations were black owned and vibrant, and now there’s none,” said Teesha Montague, with the Ann Arbor African American Downtown Festival.

She said the festival, which will also feature African Drummers, is a day where they bring people of all backgrounds and nationalities together for a day of fun. The fetival is happens this Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on East Ann and North Main Streets.

To see the entire interview, click the video above.