ROCKFORD, Ill. (WREX) — The Booker Fest is underway this weekend, offering a three-day celebration of culture, community, and excellence. The event invites everyone to learn more about African American culture in Rockford.
The festival features a range of activities from blues, jazz, and R&B music to a beauty pageant, kids fair, and an interactive Black history gallery. It runs through Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
Leon Smith, Volunteer Event Coordinator, emphasized the event’s role in bridging cultural gaps. “We have a Miss Bookerfest Pageant, we also have spoken word, we’re doing a lot of panels that’s going to reflect on black history. Hopefully everybody can come out so they can have an opportunity to see what we’re about and where we came from. That way we can bridge the gaps. What I believe is, the more you get to know about another culture then it’s almost impossible not to like them,” Smith said.
This year’s theme, “This Is Us,” aims to reach younger generations and foster community connections. The festival highlights Black history in the United States and Rockford specifically.
Smith also noted the historical significance of Booker. “Booker is very vital to our history. It’s the hub and it was a hub in our black community. People like Jesse Owens came here, Jackie Robinson, Sammy Davis Jr. and the First Lady JFK’s wife came. It has a long history and we want to tell everybody that so they can have an understanding of where we came from and what Booker’s about,” he said.
Bookerfest link.