The beating sun was nearly inescapable, on Saturday, stepping onto the open field at Rock Quarry Park, where the City of Durham hosted its 55th Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival, a free event hosted in a public space that’s accessible by car, bus, and bike thanks to the Ellerbee Creek trail, which I used to ride right up to the front entrance.
A sea of umbrellas were staked in the section of lawn nearest the stage, ready to deploy in case of rain but mostly bracing against the sun. Folks seeking refuge could lounge under a “cooling station” tent, and hydrate at the giant water tank set up next to the city’s Water Management booth.
Around the perimeter of the festival area, vendors sold traditional African garments, jewelry, and other wears. Intermittent gusts of heavy winds forced some vendors to pin down their goods with rocks, phones, and other makeshift paperweights. Patrick Agori, a Nigerian-born “fashion connoisseur” who moonlights as a tennis instructor at Hollow Rock Racquet and Swim Club, was selling his assortment of custom bowties and handcrafted Nigerian bracelets and necklaces as he soaked in Bimbé for the first time.
“Celebrating our heritage and uplifting the community—that’s what it’s all about,” Agori said.
-
Femi David-Yerumo Jr., a line dance instructor, dances during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival. Photo by Angelica Edwards. -
Various cowrie shells and jewelry are displayed during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival. Photo by Angelica Edwards. -
Akosua Wright, the owner of Motherland Authentic, assists a customer during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival. Photo by Angelica Edwards.
As time passed, folks adapted to the heat. Children could be heard nagging their parents with the usual checklist of grievances: “I’m hungry. I’m tired. It’s too hot.” Minutes later, their hands were full with cups of New York Italian Ice. Some of them just needed a distraction. Sitting next to one another were a series of enticing, child-friendly activities, including a mobile arcade truck, a drum circle, an arts and crafts table, and a place to get face paint and temporary tattoos. In the center of the lawn were inflatable bouncy houses that stayed active for the duration of the festival.
“They forget all about their problems as soon as they get back in the playpen,” Shauna, a mother of two, told me with a slight grin.
Heat wasn’t enough to scare away the crowd—in response to a query, Anthony Giudice, communications analyst for the Durham Department of Parks and Recreation, said around 6,000 people attended—from descending on the park throughout the day to celebrate African and African American heritage. After sitting in folding chairs under the protection of their umbrellas, the siren calls from music by Just Fine (a Mary J. Blige Tribute Band), Africa LIVE!, D. Shawn, and headliner Raheem DeVaughn got people out of their seats and onto the dance floor in front of the stage.
Last year, the Bimbé’s reputation took a hit after a contractor for the festival failed to book the R&B singer Monica as the festival headliner, causing the singer to go on Facebook Live and state publicly that she was unaware of any engagement with the City of Durham, in what became an unfortunate micro-viral moment.
By comparison, this year’s event had only a minor setback when technical difficulties delayed Raheem DeVaughn’s set for almost two hours. When he did take the stage, though, the performance brought nearly everyone to their feet and closed the evening on a high note.
-
Akira Asante, 8, of Chapel Hill, gets her face painted during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Durham. -
(From left) Orlando Lee and Labarbara Brown and Milton and Saturday Dieuvil dance during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Durham. -
Festival goers dance during the 55th Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Durham.
I bumped into Ken Rose, a family friend, at the African American Quilt Circle booth where he was buying raffle tickets for a large quilted blanket with subtle gold embroidery. Rose has been on a festival mini-circuit, having also attended Biscuits & Banjos at the end of April. Old friends out and about at events like Bimbé, he says, is one of the main reasons why he keeps coming back. Looking around at the crowd, this seemed to be a consensus.
In its 55th year, Bimbé remains a consistent source of jubilation for Durhamites and folks from across the state, even if the festival location itself has shifted throughout its history. Since its founding in 1969, the festival has been hosted in seven different locales: Duke Gardens, Hillside Park, North Carolina Central University, UDI Industrial Park, Durham Athletic Park, CCB Plaza, and, since 2014, Rock Quarry Park.
The move from downtown to Rock Quarry Park, a decade ago, was not a consensus decision among Durhamites. Some folks were concerned the festival would lose its impact and prominence on the main stage. Anjanée Bell, a longtime Durham resident and daughter of former mayor Bill Bell, who is currently running for her father’s former seat, remembers when Bimbé was hosted at UDI Industrial Park before it ever made it downtown. She says the festival’s new home at Rock Quarry Park, surrounded on all sides by the natural world, offers new space to grow.
“I remember Bimbé feeling spread out,” Bell says. “This way, it feels like an embrace. Everybody’s in the same space experiencing the same thing.”
Follow Reporter Justin Laidlaw on X or send an email to jlaidlaw@indyweek.com. Comment on this story at [email protected].