5 things to know ahead of AFRAM
Five things to know ahead of AFRAM in Druid Hill Park this weekend including weather, entertainment and the history of the festival.
The 47th annual AFRAM Festival, advertised as “one of the largest African American festivals on the East Coast,” is returning to Druid Hill Park Saturday and Sunday — and along with rap and R&B artists, it’s bringing the heat.
The two-day event is free and will run from noon to 9 p.m. both days. Here are five things to know before you go.
It’s going to be a hot weekend
Hot weather is coming Maryland’s way, with highs in Baltimore near 102 degrees on Saturday and 99 on Sunday, the National Weather Service forecasts. Heat index values are expected to be even higher.
AFRAM is still on, but the Baltimore City Office of Recreation and Parks and the Office of Emergency Management will be setting up emergency water distribution and cooling stations, including in buses, at the festival. There will also be a “misting apparatus” for all attendees, along with sunscreen booths.
The Office of Emergency Management recommends that festival-goers wear sunscreen, hats and light-hued clothing that’s not tight. It also advises against consuming things that could worsen dehydration, like coffee and tea, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis.
Signs of dehydration may include a dry mouth, dizziness, confusion, lightheadedness and headaches. You can text “BMOREALERT” to 888777 if you want to receive the Office of Emergency Management’s BMORE ALERT emergency notifications.
Some roads will be closed for AFRAM
Temporary road closures for AFRAM began Thursday and will continue until around noon on Monday, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. The areas to avoid are Wyman Park Drive at Sisson Street, Swann Drive at Druid Park Lake Drive and Beechwood Drive at Gwynns Falls Parkway. At Wyman Park Drive, access will still be available to the Boy Scouts of America and Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy. At Beechwood Drive, access will still be available to the Maryland Zoo.
At AFRAM, parking attendants will be onsite at Taylor’s Grove, Mansion House Lawn, Chinese Grove and Druid Hill Promenade. Parking can’t be reserved. The East Drive parking lot can be accessed via the Sisson Street entrance to the park and will have ADA parking, according to the Department of Transportation.
There will also be an MDOT MTA shuttle route starting at Mondawmin Mall with stops at Liberty Heights (MTA Stop ID 6393), Swann Drive near Beechwood Drive, and the Charm City Circulator Purple Route stop at Charles and 27th Streets. The Mondawmin MetroLink parking lot is currently closed for construction, according to the Department of Transportation.
If you’re riding a scooter to AFRAM, you won’t be able to enter the festival with it. There will be scooter parking at the Druid Hill Park tennis courts.
Busta Rhymes is returning, this time in person
This year’s musical lineup includes rapper Big Daddy Kane, funk band The Time, R&B singer Mýa, singer-songwriter Alex Isley, gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard and singer-songwriter October London — plus repeat guest Busta Rhymes.
The Grammy award-winning rapper performed at AFRAM in 2021, albeit virtually, when the festival took a different form during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This lineup is full of talented artists who I know put on great shows and we’re confident they’re gonna keep Baltimore turned all the way up, all weekend long,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in April.
Crystal Waters and DJs Thommy Davis and Teddy Douglas of Basement Boys will also perform for a celebration of 40 years of house music.
The festival will spotlight a 10-year-old East Baltimore rapper
East Baltimore’s Lor Xay Xay, a 10-year-old rapper, will also be taking the AFRAM stage. He’ll perform on Saturday at 2 p.m. with the XTRVGNTS, his band.
“Now he’s able to take his message and spread it to thousands,” Lor Xay Xay’s father, Malcolm Lawson, said of his son, who is also an actor, model and youth advocate.
Lor Xay Xay, aka Xavien Lawson, said his performances are about positivity, motivation and inspiration, and that this will be his biggest crowd to date.
“The band … they got talent. And I got talent. So it’s just going to be talent all over the stage,” he said. “It’s gonna be extravagant.”
Hundreds of thousands of people have shown up in years past
AFRAM dates back to 1976, when it started as a part of Baltimore’s Showcase of Nations, according to the Mayor’s office.
It returned in full force in 2022, after being canceled in 2020 and transformed into a hybrid experience the following year. Attendance has fluctuated over the years, but the event has been known to attract hundreds of thousands of people, including last year.