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Celebrate Kwanzaa in Jamaica With Drumming, Dancing and Free Food

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | December 24, 2014 3:04pm
 Ballet International Africans will perform during a Kwanzaa event this Saturday.
Ballet International Africans will perform during a Kwanzaa event this Saturday.
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Ballet International Africans/Facebook

QUEENS — The holiday season is in full swing and some Jamaica residents are getting ready to celebrate Kwanzaa to honor their African heritage.

The celebrations, which start Dec. 27 and end on Jan. 1, seek to "to uplift the African American community," said Amir Benjamin of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre, which organizes two Kwanzaa events this season.

This Saturday, the theater, in partnership with the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, is inviting residents to an “all day celebration of Kwanzaa," which will last from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The organizers will be distributing children’s books and toys. Locals will also get to taste African and Caribbean food and watch a candle lighting ceremony.

Numerous live performances, featuring drumming and dancing, will include Ballet International Africans and York College Jazz Band.

Participants will also have a chance to buy traditional African clothing and food at a market showcasing local vendors.

On Dec. 31, the theater is organizing another Kwanzaa celebration combined with a free New Year's Eve event.

It will also feature drumming and dancing performances, free African food as well as a candle-lighting ceremony, the organizers said.

The annual event, according to Benjamin, is very popular in the community, attracting up to 1,000 participants every year.

The Dec. 27 event will take place at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (153-10 Jamaica Ave.). Admission: $5 for adults and $1 for children.

The Dec. 31 event will take place at the Afrikan Poetry Theatre (176-03 Jamaica Ave.). The free event starts at 9 p.m. and will end at midnight. For more information go here.