27th Annual Kwanzaa Karamu

Join us for the annual Kwanzaa Karamu, a feast celebrating unity, heritage, and the rich principles of Kwanzaa in December. If you’ve never celebrated Kwanzaa before, there’s no time like the present to start. It was introduced in 1966 by Dr. Maulana "Ron" Karenga, at the height of the Black Power movement. It was designed to acknowledge and respond to the racial and economic challenges faced by African Americans.

Vendors start selling at 1 pm. The program begins at 2 pm.

The Program

The East Valley Kwanzaa Committee is dedicated to fostering community through the celebration of Kwanzaa, promoting unity, heritage, and shared cultural experiences each December. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:

1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Community Focused

We build connections among families and friends through shared celebrations, reinforcing community bonds that last throughout the year. Guests are asked to bring a donation of hats, scarves, gloves, or socks to support those in need.

Cultural Enrichment

Our event fosters a deep appreciation for African culture and traditions, ensuring they are taught and celebrated in our community.

Inclusive Celebration

We welcome everyone to our festivities, promoting a non-denominational environment where all are invited to celebrate the values of Kwanzaa.