Roswell Roots Festival Includes Poetry Slam, Pound Cake Cook-Off

ROSWELL, GA -- The city of Roswell is fast at work putting the final touches on the 16th Annual Roswell Roots Festival, which will be held in February in conjunction with Black History Month.

This year, there will be 24 different events, ranging from music and art exhibitions to fashion and poetry.

Roswell Roots has grown into one of the largest and most comprehensive celebrations of black history and culture in the Southeast and has been awarded the “Gold Award for Best Cultural Event” by the Southeast Festival and Events Association.

Selected highlights of this year’s festival include:

Unity Concert, featuring The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, 3 p.m. Jan. 29 at Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Come hear the magnificent voices of choirs from several area churches, including Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, as they perform their favorite selections. Also, you won’t want to miss our featured guest, The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia. This event is free and open to the public.

LIVE! In Roswell presents A Temptations Revue, featuring Barrington “Bo” Henderson, 8 p.m. Feb. 4, Roswell Cultural Arts Center

A Temptations Revue features former lead singer and Grammy Award winner Barrington “Bo” Henderson and is a dynamic show that spans more than a decade of Temptations’ classics. To purchase tickets, call (770) 594-6232 or visit roswellcac.com.

Roswell Roots Arts Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 11, Roswell River Landing

Come and enjoy an original and diverse collection of artists and makers. Talented local artists from Roswell and Metro Atlanta will present their collections, representing cultural identity through creativity. Pieces will be for sale. This event is free.

“Slammin’ in the Suburbs”— Roswell Poetry Slam, 7 p.m. Feb. 21, Roswell Historic Cottage

This is Roswell’s 13th annual poetry slam, during which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience on content and performance. For details on the rules and how to participate, visit roswellroots.com/poetryslam. This event is free and open to the public.

Southern Sweets — 3rd Annual Pound Cake Cook-Off, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25, East Roswell Recreation Center

A new favorite to the Roswell Roots event lineup, the pound cake cook-off features both amateur and professional bakers. If you’re an amateur baker, register to enter the contest and see how your pound cake measures up. Attendees will get to meet and mingle with the competing bakers, swap recipes, sample delicious pound cake, and vote for their favorites. Several local restaurants and bakeries will have cake entries and will provide guest judges. This event is free. For details about how to enter the competition, visit roswellroots.com/poundcake.

Negro League Sports Memorabilia, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 25, Roswell Library

Come take a walk down memory lane to enjoy a private collection of sports memorabilia from local Roswell resident George Crumley. This exhibit features legendary baseball player memorabilia from the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1968. Included are signed baseballs, posters and photos. Also, hear a live recording of players telling their story of why playing in the league was important to them from the 75th-anniversary celebration held at Fulton County Stadium in 1995. This event is free.

For a full listing of Roswell Roots events, visit www.roswellroots.com.

Graphic via city of Roswell