The threat of showers and the extreme heat couldn’t chase everyone away on Saturday for the XRoots Festival in South Orange, organized by the South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race.
XRoots, an annual multicultural heritage festival currently in its third season (it was previously called the Cultural Heritage Festival), took place at Flood’s Hill in South Orange’s Meadowland Park on July 16. Beatrice Carter, radio and TV personality MC’d the event.
The event, which was free to the public, celebrated the culture, arts and community spirit of the region by bringing together a variety of talented performers who showcase the many cultures in our community and throughout New Jersey. The festival also included a marketplace of vendors with a variety of international foods, arts and crafts.
The lineup of multicultural performances included African Dance Company Usaama; Children’s Japanese Taiko Drumming group Biwanko; Indian dance performers Creations Dance Academy; the Chinese American Music Ensemble; Bomba and Plena percussion and dance ensemble Segunda Quimbamba; singers and songwriters Kay and Ray; drumming group Drums From Heaven; folk group Tetralogy; Irish and Celtic Folk band Driscoll and Smith; and South American cultural experiences from the Ayazamana Cultural Center.
Photos are by Gregory Burrus. Click on images to enlarge:
