One of Kingston's most powerful summer traditions is back. On Saturday, August 8, 2026, the shoreline at Kingston Point Beach transforms into a stage, a feast, a market, and a gathering place for the Harambee African American Festival — and this year's celebration is shaping up to be the biggest yet.
Running from noon to 7:00 PM, the festival is free and open to everyone. Whether you live two blocks away or two counties over, this is a day made right here in Kingston — and it belongs to anyone who shows up.
Why "Harambee"? The Story Behind the Name
"Harambee" is a Swahili word that means "let's pull together." It's the name chosen by Harambee Kingston NY, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 2018 with a mission to celebrate African American culture and preserve Black history in the city they call home.
The organization got its start through one of Kingston's most sacred sites: the Pine Street African Burial Ground, established in 1750 as the city's first burial ground for enslaved Africans, their descendants, and free people of color. Harambee led the effort to purchase and protect the site in 2019, partnering with the Kingston Land Trust to restore it as both a memorial and an educational resource.
The festival grew from the same impulse: to honor the past in a way that energizes the present. What began as a modest community gathering is now a Hudson Valley institution, drawing thousands to Kingston's waterfront each summer.
This Year's Theme: "400 Years & Beyond"
The 2026 theme — "400 Years & Beyond" — is a forward-looking meditation on Black heritage. It acknowledges centuries of resilience and contribution while centering the energy, creativity, and joy of today's community.
What to Expect at Kingston Point Beach
Organizers have built the festival around three generations at once:
- Live Music — The main stage runs all afternoon, with performances spanning R&B, soul, hip-hop, Afrobeat, and more
- The Children's Village — A dedicated space with art activities, storytelling, and hands-on programming for younger attendees
- Elder's Area — A quieter setting set aside to honor and celebrate the elders in the community — their stories, their presence, their legacy
- Food Vendors — A full lineup of local and regional food vendors, from barbecue to Caribbean specialties
- The Beachfront Marketplace — Crafts, clothing, jewelry, visual art, and more from Black-owned vendors and artisans
And there's the setting itself — Kingston Point Beach, with views of the Hudson River, room for kids to run, and space to spread a blanket and just take it all in.
A Kingston Staple — and It's Growing
Harambee Kingston NY doesn't stop in August. The organization runs youth programs, cultural events, and educational initiatives year-round, and is currently planning the National Conference on African Burial Grounds for October 2027 — a gathering that will bring preservationists, historians, and community leaders from across the country to Kingston.
The festival itself continues to grow each August, and the organizers encourage new faces: bring your kids, bring your neighbors, bring a lawn chair. Everyone is welcome.
The Details
- Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
- Time: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: Kingston Point Beach, 102-144 Delaware Ave, Kingston, NY
- Cost: Free
- Website: HarambeeKingstonNY.org
- Email: info@harambeekingstonny.org
- Phone: 845-853-0524
- Full Coverage: Read more at UlsterWeekly.com
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Been going to Harambee for years and the Elder's Area is honestly one of my favorite parts. Sat with a woman last year who remembered the Pine Street burial ground before anyone was really paying attention to it. That kind of living history doesn't happen anywhere else in this city.
Denise HollowayThat's exactly the kind of moment you can't plan for. I had a similar conversation there a couple years back — an older gentleman who grew up on Pine Street and had stories going back decades. You're right, you just don't get that anywhere else. Really glad they carved out that dedicated space for the elders instead of it just being background noise at a big event.
That's exactly the kind of moment the Elder's Area exists for — and you can't script it. The connection between those living memories and the work Harambee has done to protect the Pine Street Burial Ground is really at the heart of what makes this festival unlike anything else in the Hudson Valley.