Annual Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival
Posted by myideas1 on September 29th, 2008
If the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival is on your calendar for this weekend, stop by our booth, we’d love to meet you! Just look for the People You Need to Know banner! This year, 30,000 people are expected to attend.
Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival (courtesy of Wikipedia) is an annual festival held October third through the fifth located on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Civil rights leader Hosea Williams founded the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival in 1984 as a way to celebrate African American achievement established on Auburn Avenue. Currently, the festival offers food, art, and entertainment throughout the day while celebrating Auburn Avenue’s past and growth.
History of Auburn Avenue
Formerly known as Wheat Street, Auburn Avenue was segregated by the Jim Crow Laws in the 1920’s through the 1940’s, which segregated African American businesses from other establishments. As a result, Auburn Avenue became home to Atlanta’s first emerging African American middle class due to the success of several financial institutions like Atlanta Life Insurance and Citizens Trust Bank. Once black-owned businesses were at a high, Auburn Avenue became referred to as Sweet Auburn and the richest Negro street in the world. In addition to businesses several churches, homes, and entertainment venues reside on Auburn Avenue.
Entertainment
The Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival is not just about celebrating the history of Auburn Avenue. The festival’s entertainment varies from comedians to up and coming artists from diverse genres of music. The Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival searches for entertainment from cities such as: Atlanta, Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Huntsville and Chattanooga in hopes to help non-established artists’ path to stardom. Artists such as Usher Raymond, Outkast, India Arie, and Raven Symone have started out performing on stage at the festival. Ultimately, the Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival entertainment has grown much further than originally anticipated from its beginning stages in 1984.
Historic Attractions
- Atlanta Daily World - founded in 1928
- Big Bethel AME - founded in 1847
- Butler Street CME - founded in 1882
- Butler Street - YMCA founded in 1920
- Apex Museum - founded in 1985
- Citizens Trust Bank - founded in 1921
- Atlanta Life Insurance - founded in 1905
- Wheat Street Baptist Church - founded in 1870
- King Center for Non-Violent Social Change - founded in 1968
- Odd Fellows Complex buildings - founded in 1913
- The Royal Peacock - founded in 1930’s
- Ebenezer Baptist Church - founded in 1886
- Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birth Home - established January 15, 1929
- Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry - founded in 1971
- Martin Luther King Jr. National Park Visitor’s Center - founded in 1980
- 100 Black Men of America National Headquarters - established in 1997
- Auburn Avenue Research Library - founded 1934
- Sweet Auburn Curb Market - opened in 1924
September 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
I can’t believe it is time for the Sweet Auburn Festival again. It seems like it was just yesterday. Perhaps Mekhi and I will come down for a stroll. If we do I will be sure to stop by and say hello.
September 30th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Wow! You really are everywhere and it seems so successful (which of course I can see with such a phenomenal blog). I wish I was there to stop by! It sounds fun!
September 30th, 2008 at 6:05 am
@Renee: Please make sure you stop by if you come! This will be my first time attending this particular one. The Mother of Auburn festivals is usually during the spring of each year.
@Heidi: Awwwwh, thanks for the compliments. We’ve been really busy this year with our marketing exhibits and trade shows. I sometimes wish I could be everywhere I need to be…at the same time of course.
September 30th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Wow! Great history lesson on Auburn Avenue, which I was not aware of. I love reading and knowing about things like this, and will have to make sure to have a walk down Auburn Ave when I visit ATL. Much success at the festival!
September 30th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
It’s exciting to know that Auburn Avenue has such a rich historiclal heritage. And the picture is perfect.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:40 am
@The Fitness Diva: Thank you. Atlanta has a very RICH history when it comes to African Americans and the residue of all those successful years gone by, are still with us today. My husband and I actually met Mr. Hosea Williams before he passed away, and he told us how important it was for us to continue the work we are doing. We found him to be a very humble and caring human being.
@China Business Watch: I’m glad that more people will be informed about the magnificence of Auburn Avenue’s cultural history just by reading this post. Thanks for your comment.
October 1st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I wish that I was there, so that I could attend. I have gone to the festival in the past and loved it. You are so right that Sweet Auburn is rich in African American history. I love the photo. Have lots of fun at the festival.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:35 pm
@Dori, Hey there! Thanks for dropping by. I’ll try. For me, it will be mostly about work, but it’s hard not to be drawn into the festivities.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:02 am
You have a very interesting site. I will be back.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:15 am
Paula, Thanks for stopping by!
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I have yet to attend one of the SAFs. I think I may have to check it out this weekend.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Hey sHaE! When it comes to celebrations, there’s always room for more people. Believe it or not, the spring festival usually has 450-500,000 attending. It’s huge! Anyway, we’ll be there with bells on promoting the folks in our network ’cause that’s what we do.