Sunday afternoon Philly held its 49th ODUNDE festival in South Philadelphia. It turns 15 blocks into an African street festival with food, shopping and performances. NBC10’s Karen Hua gives us a look at this year’s festivities.
ODUNDE, the nation's largest African American cultural street festival, is back in Philadelphia for 2024.
Spanning more than 15 city blocks along South Street and Greys Ferry Avenue, the festival will return on Sunday, June 9, 2024, with hundreds of crafts and food vendors and live performances. Seriously, make sure you come hungry to this one.
The main event runs from 10 a.m. through about 8 p.m. with parties spreading onto neighboring streets. Various artists will take the stage, with Dru Hill headlining the South Street stage around 7 p.m. Sunday.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Other artists taking the stage Sunday include Kulu Mele and Just Sole Dance.
But wait there is more! The fun began before the large festival. ODUNDE will be hosting a week of activities from June 2 through June 8.
The Scene
Events included yoga at Love Park, roundtable discussions with African and Caribbean leaders and lectures on how to do business in Africa.
Nearly 500,000 people have attended the street festival in years past, bringing in millions of dollars to the city, according to organizers.
Lois Fernandez started the ODUNDE festival in 1975 with a $100 grant and the help of South Philadelphians to celebrate African and African American culture.
What roads will be closed during Sunday's main event?
The city said the following streets will be closed on Sunday, June 9 from 6 a.m. until about 11 p.m.:
- 1700 to 2400 blocks of South Street, between 17th South Bambrey streets
- 500 to 600 blocks of South 23rd Street, between Lombard and South streets
- 500 to 600 blocks of South 22nd Street, between Lombard and Bainbridge streets
- 2200 to 2500 blocks of Grays Ferry Avenue, between South and Carpenter streets
Where can't people park during Sunday's festival?
"The above-listed streets will be posted as 'Temporary No Parking' zones from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, June 9," the city said. "Motorists must adhere to 'Temporary No Parking' signs. Vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours will be relocated." If you believe your car has been relocated, call the police district of the area where your car was parked. "
What SEPTA routes will be detoured?
From 5 a.m. Sunday through midnight, the following SEPTA bus routes will be detoured: Routes 7, 12, 17 and 40.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
