International African Arts Festival Struggles for Survival After Brooklyn Park Eviction

International African Arts Festival 2024 Crowd
Brooklyn’s International African Arts Festival (IAAF), a cherished cultural event attracting thousands of attendees annually, is facing a major hurdle as it searches for a new location for its 2025 edition. After more than two decades at Commodore Barry Park, the festival has been informed that renovations to the park’s infrastructure will prevent its use next year.
As one of the oldest and most significant multi-day Pan-African celebrations in the United States, the IAAF has been a staple of New York’s Fourth of July festivities for over 50 years. However, the New York City Parks Department has stated that no alternative park space in Brooklyn is available to accommodate the event.
Festival Board Chairman Segun Shabaka revealed that Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Martin Maher’s office cited “major renovations” as the reason for the park’s unavailability. Despite the festival’s willingness to scale down from its usual four or five-day format to just two or three days, the city has yet to offer an alternative venue.
“There are at least 60 public parks in Brooklyn,” Shabaka pointed out, questioning why space cannot be allocated for such a longstanding cultural tradition. The NYC Parks Department has not responded to requests for comment.

Founded in 1971 as the African Street Carnival by The East, an Afro-centric community organization in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the festival initially took place in front of the group’s Claver Place headquarters before expanding to Boys & Girls High School’s athletic field for 25 years. In 2002, it moved to Commodore Barry Park, where it has remained since.
Featuring hundreds of vendors, international artisans, and live performances, the festival has hosted musical legends such as Lauryn Hill, India Arie, The Mighty Sparrow, Blue Magic, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. It operates with a small staff and board of directors, relying heavily on volunteers and seasonal workers. Despite its size, Shabaka emphasized that the event has never encountered security issues.

The 2025 festival is particularly crucial as organizers work to recover from the pandemic’s impact. While the event typically hosted around 300 vendors before COVID-19, that number had dropped to under 200 in 2024.
Longtime vendor Brenda Brunson-Bey, owner of Tribal Truths Collection, expressed concern over the festival’s uncertain future. She noted that the event serves as a vital space for African American, Caribbean, and African communities to celebrate their shared heritage. She also highlighted broader issues of gentrification, pointing out that other Black cultural events in the area, such as those in Fort Greene Park and BAM’s Dance Africa, have been significantly reduced.
“This festival gives us a picture of who we are and where we came from,” Brunson-Bey stated. “The city must find a space for us.”