A new African festival is coming to Thunder Bay, Ont., this summer

Preparations are underway for a brand-new festival in Thunder Bay, Ont., this summer that aims to celebrate African culture.

Liliane Breiland says she came up with the concept for the Afro Vibe Festival after seeing the impact of her businesses in the community. Originally from Cameroon, Africa, Breiland came to the northwestern Ontario city in 2016, and now owns The African Boutique and Na'Madams African Cuisine inside Goods and Co. Market.

When she first opened her clothing business, she said people were taken aback by the bold colours and patterns.

"It was something for me to start explaining to people: colours are good for the soul," Breiland said.

Slowly, people became more receptive, which motivated her to host fashion shows in town. After seeing success with those, she decided it was time to bring something bigger to Thunder Bay to expose more people to African culture.

"This is one of the things that pushed us … by getting that kind of support and that kind of synergy with the locals," she said.

The Afro Vibe Festival will see a parade start at Waverley Park and head down to the marina, led by horses clothed in traditional African regalia, majorettes – also known as pom pom girls – and people wearing palm tree fibres.

"This is the culture we want to share," Breiland said.

From there, people can enjoy performances, activities for children and adults, and more than 200 vendors at the city's waterfront. 

"It's our culture. We know it already. We [want to] bring in the population to come and [be] merry with us and witness that," Breiland said.

The two-day event will take place July 12 and 13.

A hub of cultural diversity

Sharon Bon is the festival's director of marketing. She has Jamaican roots and owns Dame Más Dance in town, which specializes in African and Latin dance lessons for adults.

Bon said Thunder Bay's African population is quickly growing, which is important for the broader community to recognize.

"Thunder Bay is kind of becoming the Toronto of the north in cultural diversity, and so just to share our culture with people and have them aware of how rich and different Afro culture is — and it's right here in Thunder Bay," Bon said.

Bon said she looks forward to seeing the performances, including a Reggae band, Afro singers and DJs, as well as Afro games for children.

"I still remember my childhood friends from the games we used to play before," Breiland said of the traditional games that will be featured.

The festival's website is expected to go live at the end of February. In the meantime, organizers are seeking input from those who wish to be involved, including volunteers. They can be reached at info@afrovibefest.ca.