Roots Festival Features Diverse Food and Entertainment

Portland Roots Festival will feature a variety of food, art, and cultural practices from Portland’s diverse African Populations.  The festival, held on September 1 at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland will run from 12 noon until 8:00 p.m.  It is PCRI’s first culturally specific food festival, promoting healthy living through healthy food choices and activities from the rich and ancient traditions of the African people.  Admission to the festival is free of charge and all ages are welcome.

The festival will highlight the different yet similar avenues these ancient practices took through the celebration of food practices of African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro- Latin, and African Diaspora populations of Portland, Oregon.  Vendors (pictured below with KPTV Fox 12 host Joe Vithayathil) and their menu items will include:

• Touchdown’s BBQ With A Kick: Pulled pork sandwich and barbeque ribs
• Enat Kitchen: Chicken with spinach, collard greens, spicy beef tips
• Caribbean Kook Pot: Jerk chicken, curried chicken, Cajun tilapia, rice, and red beans
• Gamila Café: Moroccan chicken, lamb with rice
• Sea Verdes: Tilapia with spinach, tomato and basil; Thai beef salad, deep-fried oysters, green smoothies
• Midnight Seed: Herbal teas, including basil and mint
• Terrel’s Texas BBQ: Pulled pork sandwich and pork ribs; chicken, beef, potato salad, cole slaw, bbq beans, pasta salad, macaroni & cheese
• Po’ Shines Café del la Soul: Fried catfish, hush puppies, vegan gumbo
• Love Belizean: Belizean-style chicken or coconut curried beans with seasoned coconut rice and beans; Caribbean salsa, arugula salad
• Delight of Africa: Fried plantains with black eyed pea stew; fresh hibiscus and ginger teas; West African donut

Click on any vendor’s name for more information.  The festival will have additional features including:

• Urban agriculture expert Will Allen of Growing Power will provide the day’s keynote presentation
• Portland-based and nationally-recognized dance sensation Kemba Shannon will perform
• The Black Portlanders photography by Intisar Abioto
• Conscious Coils natural hair care will support and inspire you as you boldly rock your natural hair
• Randall Children’s Hospital’s Kids’ Team ambulance (pictured) will be on site for kids of all ages to explore and learn more
• B-boy dancing, spoken word art, drum and DJ music, and much more!

The Portland Roots Festival is free and open to all ages.  The festival is Sunday, September 1, 2013 from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland.  A tentative schedule is available HERE.  Please note that all times are subject to change without notice.