It's Pinkster Time!

ANNDDDD.... We're Back!
We're bringing back the Original Kinderhook Black Family Reunion Pinkster Fest!
Our first year, we only had the Family Reunion. Last year we combined it with a our first Pinkster Fest.  This year, we're making it an annual event, and gearing up for an even bigger and better jubilee!  

We have a great lineup of performers, vendors and exhibitors:
Guest Performers:
Lucille Taylor Dance
Community Voices of Praise Gospel Choir
Rhythms of the Diaspora
Spero
Jim and Carla Keyes
Omonike Akinyemi/Image Quilt Dance
DJ Kay Deuce

With readings and book signings by:
Debra Bruno ("A Hudson Valley Reckoning")
 and
Shakeema Funchess ("Parading with Pride")

West African face painting and beading with Nkoula Badila

Vendors and exhibits:
The African American Archive
Lindenwald
Underground Railroad Education Center
Hudson Area Library
Mid Hudson Anti-Slavery History Project
Cliff Oliver Photography
Home Home Bookstore
Daughters of the American Revolution
Columbia County Historians
James Weldon Johnson Foundation

...and more!

And, of course, it wouldn't be Pinkster without our own Pinkster King, Don Hyman and the traditional Pinkster Parade!
with
​Food by Bernie's Blue Line BBQ and traditional strawberry shortcake provided by Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

Why is our Pinkster Fest different from all others?

There are two reasons that our Pinkster Fest is different from others in the Hudson Valley:
First, ours is the only Pinkster event celebrated in Columbia County.  Second, as the "Original Kinderhook Black Family Reunion Pinkster Fest", ours is the only Pinkster held by and for the descendants of the African Americans who celebrated it in the 18th century!  We begin the event with an hour for descendants to gather, reconnect, and exchange family information, just as our ancestors did.  Then our Pinkster Parade takes us to the historic Persons of Color Cemetery, where approximately 500 of our 18th and 19th century ancestors rest.  The ceremony we hold at the cemetery is more than just the crowning of the Pinkster King, it's a time to honor and pay tribute to those who came before us.  Ours isn't a simple reenactment of a colonial festival, it's a way to connect to our family roots and continue the legacy left to us by our ancestors!

Please join us!

It won't be a party without you!  As always, our event is free of charge and open to all!
Join us at Rothermel Park in Kinderhook on Saturday, May 16th, from 12 to 6.  
Descendants gathering from 11am to noon.
Register here.