To enjoy eight hours of West Indian culture, head to Jamaica on Saturday. Well a bit to the southeast of Jamaica…Queens, that is.
The Bankra Caribbean Culture Festival will unfold at Archie Spigner Park in St. Albans on Aug. 12, starting at noon with the concert scheduled for 4 pm.
Organized by Braata Productions, this ninth annual event has three major components this year: stalls/island; performances; and a pop-up display. In other words, attendees can expect a smorgasbord of West Indian food, dance, music, crafts, masks, and drum circles. Moko jumbies, too.
Admission is free.
The event’s name, bankra, refers to a large woven basket that’s often used to carry food and craft items in Twi, a language that is largely spoken by the Akan people in modern day Ghana.
Archie Spigner Park, which used to be St. Albans Park, is in the vicinity of Merrick Boulevard and Sayres Avenue. It’s not near a subway station, but the Q85 stops there.
Images: Braata Productions