For the February Ampersand Award, we’d like to recognize the City of Petersburg’s Black History Month Festival, and its organizers, the city’s Special Events Coordinator, Marnelle Fanfan, and Festival Chair, Margo Hardy. For the fourth year in a row, Petersburg is celebrating Black History Month with an all-day festival that will run from 2pm-7pm on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Petersburg High School.
Petersburg consistently celebrates “Pride & History,” and over the past year we have noticed a lot of strong community-building around events that promote history and civic pride. The 2018 Black History Month Festival is dedicated to celebrating the contributions made by African-Americans to the community through music, food, and art.
This family event is free and open to the public. The Festival Chair, Margo Hardy, says it is “guaranteed to uniquely impact each participant,” and is sure to provide both entertainment and enlightenment to those who attend. There will be an array of vendors, and live performances by the Petersburg High School Choir, the Virginia State University Gospel Choir, the Fort Lee Army Band, Soul 2 Soul Dance Theater, and J. Baxter and the SAUCE Band. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
Thanks to everyone involved in making this a great annual event for Petersburg and the Tri-Cities area! You make our cultural life richer and our community stronger.
If you’d like to get involved with the city of Petersburg, you can find more information here.