Roswell Roots Festival Kicks Off In February

ROSWELL, GA — The city of Roswell is gearing up for its 17th annual celebration of Black History Month. The Roswell Roots Festival kicks off in February, and this year's installment will include seven exhibits and more than 20 events related to art, music, food, storytelling, history, education and community engagement.

The Roswell Roots Festival celebrates the contributions of Roswell's black citizens, both past and present. It 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 New Life Presbyterian Children’s Choir, 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at Chapel Roswell; free

Come hear the magnificent voices of choirs from several local choirs, including contemporary choirs from Chapel Roswell, Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Holcomb Bridge Middle School. Our 2018 guest choir, New Life Presbyterian Children’s Choir, will be performing their favorite selections.

Southern Sweets—4th Annual Pound Cake Cook-Off and Marketplace, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 10, Bill Johnson Community Activity Building; free

Guests are invited to taste pound cake and vote for their favorite entry. Competitor categories include professional, amateur, youth, and healthy. First and second place will be awarded in each category as chosen by a panel of judges. A People’s Choice Award will also be given to the participant with the most votes from guests.

In addition to pound cake, join us for original collections of work from artists and makers at the Roswell Roots Marketplace next to the Pound Cake Cook-Off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The marketplace is a one day event alongside the Pound Cake Cook-Off that allows makers to sell and display their goods that celebrate Black history and culture.

For details about how to enter the competition, visit www.roswellroots.com/poundcake.

Soul Food Cypher, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Red Door Playhouse; $5

This year, Roswell Roots is introducing a brand new spoken word element to the month long festival on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 7p.m. at Red Door Playhouse. Soul Food Cypher is an evening event showcasing the craft and ingenuity of freestyle rap and testing the limits of spoken word. Soul Food Cypher is open to all ages to attend, but space is limited. To purchase tickets, visit www.roswellroots.com. For more information, call 770-641-3705.

LIVE! In Roswell presents Jane Powell – Goddess of Soul, 8 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center; $30

An evening of classic R&B songs, blues tunes, jazz standards and gospel anthems from the Goddess of Soul. Let Jane Powell captivate you with her playful personality, spicy sense of humor, and soulful style. To purchase tickets, call (770) 594-6232 or visit www.roswellcac.com.

Roswell Roots College Fair, 2-5 p.m. Feb. 26 at the East Roswell Recreation Center; free

Start your college search at the Roswell Roots College Fair. Open to the public, the Roswell Roots College Fair allows students to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of higher education institutions, connect with resource groups as well as Greek letter organizations. This is your opportunity to obtain free college admission counseling. Student pre-registration is strongly encouraged at www.roswellroots.com

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

Images from the 2017 Roswell Roots Festival