Harvest Festival, Free Concert Coming To Harlem This Weekend

HARLEM, NY — This weekend, Harlemites can stop by a harvest festival for food, shopping and kids' activities, then take in a free African music festival without ever leaving the neighborhood.

Saturday marks the return of the Harlem Harvest Festival, which will be back on St. Nicholas Avenue for the first time since 2019 following a pandemic hiatus.

Then, on Sunday, comes the debut of "Harlem Meet Africa," a free, four-hour-long public concert at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park.

Here are the details on both events.

Harlem Harvest Festival

The free, family-friendly festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, on St. Nicholas Avenue between West 117th and 118th streets.

Organized by Harlem Park to Park, it will feature food from local businesses like Ginjan Cafe and Tsion Cafe, as well as a selection of Harlem-made products sold by local vendors like Honey Botanics, k.d. Dolls and Africa in Harlem.

Children's activities will feature face painting, jump-roping and pumpkin art and carving. Meanwhile, DJ Stormin' Norman and La Orquesta Majica Latina Salsa Band will both give live music performances.

Learn more at the Harvest Festival's website.

Harlem Meet Africa

Billed as the city's "newest global music festival," Harlem Meet Africa will run from 3-7 p.m. Sunday at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, near West 122nd Street in Marcus Garvey Park.

Produced "by Harlem residents for the Harlem community," the festival will feature performances by Guinea-native singer Natu Camara, West African drummer Mamoudou Konaté, Guinean flute player Bailo Bah, the Congolese artist and orator Nkumu Katalay, and others.

"Harlem is a historical neighborhood where Africans, African Americans, and everyone from across the globe live side by side," organizers wrote. "Our goal is to have ALL of New York experience Harlem’s culture, beauty, diversity, LOVE and community through the healing power of music."

Read more on the festival's Eventbrite page.