Harlem Week 2017: Events, History, 'A Great Day In Harlem'

HARLEM, NY — This Sunday's "A Great Day in Harlem" celebration marks the beginning of Harlem Week, which despite its name will continue on throughout the month of August.

An expected 40,000 people are expected to turn out to U.S. Grant National Memorial Park near West 122nd Street and Riverside Drive for "A Great Day in Harlem" in Grant this year, according to Harlem Week's organizers. The day-long celebration will feature a picnic, fashion show, arts and crafts and a series of concerts.

Don't know anything about Harlem Week? Don't worry because Patch has you covered.

History:

Harlem Week is a neighborhood tradition dating back to 1974 when a one-day tribute to Harlem — specifically to Harlem residents who stayed in the neighborhood during trying times — was held, Voza Rivers of the Harlem Arts Alliance told CBS New York. It was during that ceremony when Seventh Avenue was renamed Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, becoming the first New York City street named after a person of color, according to Rivers

"It was during the height of wholesale abandonment, a proliferation of drugs in the community," Rivers told CBS New York. “A one-day celebration for those of us who stayed and didn’t abandon Harlem."

In the next four decades the one-day tribute would evolve and grow into what it is today, a month-long celebration of Harlem.

Events:

This year Harlem Week will host more than 100 events which will attract an expected 2 million people, according to organizers. Harlem Week will kick off with "A Great Day in Harlem" on Sunday and end with the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k Run on Saturday, August 26.

Two of the most anticipated yearly events occur on the same weekend: “Summer in the City” on August 19 and "Harlem Day" on August 20. Both of these events span the entire day and include entertainment such as a children's festival, free swimming, a fashion show for designers of color, a concert, an auto show and more.

For a full list of events and more information about Harlem Week, check out its website.

Photo by edwardhblake via Flickr/Creative Commons