ODUNDE was created in 1975 by Lois Fernandez. The festival attracts UP TO 500,000 people annually and is the largest African American street festival held in the country. The ODUNDE festival, whose concept originates from the Yorùbá people of Nigeria, West Africa, celebrates the coming of another year for African Americans and Africanized people around the world. It is an occasion highlighted by a colorful procession from 23rd and South Street to the Schuylkill River where an offering of fruit and flowers is made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river. ODUNDE is also known for its authentic African marketplace featuring vendors from around the world selling merchandise from African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil.
