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Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival
The national award winning Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019! This family oriented event is a celebration of African and African American history, culture, arts, and traditions. Visit the Bimbé History page for information on how the festival has evolved throughout the years.
Visit the Bimbé Weekday Events page for information on all of the events happening May 12-17.
Durham Parks and Recreation would like to thank our sponsors, specifically Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, city administrators and officials, our many community partners and the attendees that helped make the 50th Annual Award Winning Bimbѐ Cultural Arts Festival a huge success. Over 15,000 participants gathered to celebrate and enjoy a day filled with entertainment, food, shopping, and more!
It is our goal to provide family friendly events that the entire community can be proud of. We put a lot of work into the festival and were disappointed in the language used by one of the artists because of our goal and mission as well as the respect we have for our community. As always, prior to securing an artist we communicate the nature of the event along with the demographic that will be in attendance. Unfortunately, one of the artists did not adhere to the agreement that was made with him prior to the event.
We owe our sponsors, city administrators, elected officials and you, the community an apology. We hope that you will continue to support us as we offer our many programs, activities and events. We will be working to put stronger measures in place to ensure that this does not happen again. You deserve it! Thank you once again for your support.
50th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival
Saturday, May 18, 2019
12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Drive
Free | All Ages
Festival Map
Festival Activities
- Live Music
- Family Fun Zone
- Arts and Crafts
- Community Resources
- Ethnic Food
- Local Talent
Seating will not be provided, please bring a lawn chair or blanket.
The following is not allowed at the festival:
- No coolers
- No smoking
- No alcohol
- No personal canopies/tents
- No pets
The 50th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival is presented by
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina in partnership with
Durham Parks and Recreation.
Featuring
Juvenile
Dru Hill
Main Stage Performances
| Time | Performances |
|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | Welcome Salute to Elders - African American Dance Ensemble History Hype Bimbé Logo Contest Presentation |
| 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Bull City's Best (All artists were born in Durham) Trez Falsetto @ 1 p.m. Homegrown Heroes Presentation Empower Dance Studio Sh8kes the Poet Digital Brilliance by RaDivine The Beast featuring Pierce Freelon @ 2:30 p.m. Homegrown Heroes Presentation |
| 3:15 p.m. | Sahara Reggae Band Homegrown Heroes Presentation The Marching Eagle Regiment Band |
| 5 p.m. | JL Regal Imani Homegrown Heroes Presentation TyAhna Maray Brian Dawson's DJ Medley |
| 6:45 p.m. | Juvenile Dru Hill |
| Schedule subject to change |
|
"Who Knew?" Corner
Visit the “Who Knew?” Corner to hear about important issues affecting the African American Community. Speakers will talk each hour and provide good tools, tips, and information to help you live your best life!
| Time | Speaker | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Awanya Caesar | Hypertension (HBP), Health and Community Resources |
| 2 p.m. | Dan Stafford & Na Onnie Lee | Entrepreneurship |
| 3 p.m. | LaShanda Deberry | Re-education of Natural Hair: How to Grow, Moisturize, and Define Your Curls |
| 4 p.m. | Kamaria Mason | Nutrition and Diabetes in Minority Communities |
| 5 p.m. | Flame Newton | 4 Credit Principles That Will Change Your Life |
| Schedule subject to change | ||
African American Quilt Circle
Stop over near the Who Knew Corner tent to see the African American Quilt Circle in Action. The African American Quilt Circle (AAQC) was founded in Durham, NC in 1998 and has grown into an arts group with over 60 members of quilters who live in the Triangle and surrounding cities, Warrenton, Wilmington. Virginia and Philadelphia. AAQC’s charge is to preserve the heritage of quilting in the African American community by providing community outreach activities, supporting local and national humanitarian projects through quilting, and exhibiting locally and nationally to share quilting as an art form.
Family Fun Zone
The Family Fun Zone will celebrate the spirit of African community, engaging kids of ALL ages to bring out the “Kuumba,” (koo-OOM-bah) or creativity, within each of them. Join us for a fun-filled day exploring African cultural traditions! The Family Fun Zone will include:
- Drum Circles
- Arts & Crafts
- Storytelling
- Inflatables
- Face Painting
Bullying is NOT a Game
Durham Police Department (DPD) officers will be raising awareness about the issue of bullying while operating a gaming station where festival attendees will be able to compete against some of Durham’s finest in Madden, NBA Live, and other games.
History Hype
As we enjoy a year of celebration for the City of Durham’s Sesquicentennial and the 50th Anniversary of Bimbé we will take a look back to the road that got us here. Fun Facts will be shared and we will take time to recognize the important people and events that occurred along the way.
Homegrown Heroes
Durham boasts many great leaders, influencers, and role models. People who have helped shape our community and have touched the lives of many. It's time to celebrate a few of these Homegrown Heroes and their accomplishments!
Bull City’s Best
Talent abounds in all artistic forms here in Durham and we will feature some of our best! The leads in these acts are from the Bull City and will show up and show out!
Book Giveaway and Registration
The Durham County Library will be on site with their awesome Bookmobile. Participants can take advantage of this mobile service, where they can register for a library card and even receive a free book!
Bring your own water bottle
Don’t forget to bring your refillable water bottle! The Durham H2O 2 Go Hydration Station will be on site offering fresh drinking water to event attendees.
Event Cancellation Information
Events may be canceled in the case of severe inclement weather.
- Call the weather line at 919-560-4636 and press Number 8 for the status of the event.
- Visit Facebook and / or Twitter
Volunteer Information
Interested in volunteering? Visit our Ivolunteer site to sign up. Volunteers will receive a festival t-shirt, snacks, and water.
Vendor Information
All vendor slots are full for this year's event!
Parking
Free parking will be available in the Durham County Stadium parking lots, located at 750 Stadium Drive across from Rock Quarry Park. Please carpool and arrive early!
Taking public transportation is encouraged, please see information below about taking Go Durham to the Festival.
Take the Bus to Bimbé
There are two bus stops near Rock Quarry Park where Bimbé will be held! Don't worry about traffic and finding a parking spot, jump on the bus for a hassle free ride.
Bus Stops Closest to the Bimbé Festival Site
Route 4 (N Roxboro/Durham Regional/North Duke Crossing:
Runs every 30 minutes on Saturdays from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. It then runs every hour from 7 p.m.-midnight.
- Olympic Avenue at Roxboro oad (Stop ID #6067): This stop is along the outbound (from Durham Station) route 4 only. It is located on Olympic Avenue, just before the entrance to Duke Regional Hospital.
- Duke Regional Hospital (Stop ID #5105): This stop is located on the perimeter road inside Duke Regional Hospital. The stop is along the outbound (from Durham Station) route 4 only. There is a shelter at this location.
- Roxboro Road at Duke Regional Hospital (Stop ID #6155): This stop is located on Roxboro Road, just south of Crutchfield St. It is along the inbound (to Durham Station) route 4.
Route 9A (Dearborn Dr/Durham Regional/Riverside HS):
Route 9A runs every hour from 6 a.m.-midnight. Please note: after 7 p.m., it is simply route 9, but the same stops apply as the day time.
- Roxboro Road at Duke Regional Hospital (Stop ID #6155): This stop is located on Roxboro Road, just south of Crutchfield Street. It is along the outbound route 9A only.
- Olympic Avenue at Roxboro Road (Stop ID #6067): This stop is along the outbound (from Durham Station) route 9A only. It is located on Olympic Avenue, just before the entrance to Duke Regional Hospital.
- Duke Regional Hospital (Stop ID #5105): This stop is located on the perimeter road inside Duke Regional Hospital. The stop is along the outbound (from Durham Station) route 9A. There is a shelter at this location.
- Duke Regional Hospital (Stop ID #6095): This stop is located on the perimeter road inside Duke Regional Hospital. The stop is along the inbound (to Durham Station) route 9A. There is a shelter at this location, and it is located directly across the street from the outbound stop (ID #5105).
- Olympic Avenue at Roxboro Road (Stop ID #5451): This stop is along the inbound (to Durham Station) route 9A only. It is located on Olympic Avenue, across the street from the outbound stop (ID #6067).
Route/Schedule Information
Route maps/schedules for the aforementioned routes can be found on the Go Durham site. When you visit the individual page for each route, you can view the PDF map/schedule or look at real-time information for the route. You can also view the real-time information of the routes using the TransLoc system by:
- Viewing TransLoc online
- Using the TransLoc Rider App. Available at the iTunes and Google Play stores (free download)
- Each bus stop has information that instructs passengers on how to receive real-time arrival information via text message.
Trips Planning Assistance
Passengers can call the Regional Call Center at 919-485-7433 (RIDE) for information/trip planning assistance on all transit services in the Triangle. For the “tech-savvy” people, they can plan their trip using Google Maps or using the planner on the Go Durham homepage.