The City of Charleston's Office of Cultural Affairs and MOJA Arts, the new 501(c)(3) nonprofit overseeing the national MOJA Arts Festival, will host the Festival Opening Celebration on Sept. 24 in Marion Square.
The lunchtime celebration will resemble an old-fashioned family picnic, featuring food, music and performances by three local high school bands (Burke, Timberland and Woodland), who will then face off in a Drumline Battle. The celebration begins at 11 a.m.
Tickets for five MOJA events are on sale now at citypapertickets.com. The eight-day MOJA Arts Festival, celebrating Black arts, culture and heritage, runs Sept. 24 through Oct. 1 at locations across the city.
This year's Honorary Chairpersons are Jonathan Green, Carolyn Murray, Michael B. Moore, Brenda Lauderback and Darius Rucker.
"We are energized by the continued momentum of the MOJA Arts Festival and remain committed to expanding its visibility, elevating its artistic excellence and raising the bar each year to reflect the creativity, innovation and world-class spirit that define both this extraordinary festival and the City of Charleston," said Charlton Singleton, Artistic Director of the Festival.
“We are so excited to bring together some of the finest talent across the Lowcountry to celebrate some of the best music ever made,” said Charleston's Director of Cultural Affairs Rochelle Riley. “I cannot wait for my friends from across the country to come to Charleston to experience this amazing display of local talent, cuisine and culture.”
Festival Schedule:
- Sept. 24: MOJA Community Heroes Gala*; Festival Opening Celebration in Marion Square
- Sept. 25: MOJA Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibition opens; MOJA Food Truck Gullah Geechee Cook-off; Reggae Block Dance
- Sept. 26: MOJA Arts Fitness; "New Jack Swing" Concert featuring Charlton Singleton
- Sept. 27: Gospel Extravaganza, honoring Men of Gospel*; Black Frequencies: Poetry, Sound & Vision*
- Sept. 28: The Wonder-ful Concert by Demetrius Doctor*, a dedicated concert devoted to the 50th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life," released on Sept. 28, 1976
- Sept. 29: Jazmin Ghent* in concert
- Sept. 30: MOJA Kids' 4th Grade Readout and Book Giveaway; MOJA Storytelling at two Charleston County Public Libraries
- Oct. 1: Golden Anniversary Celebration at Hampton Park, featuring The Wellness Village, an artisan village, and a free 50th-anniversary concert produced by Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew of Chew Entertainment, featuring Charleston's own Tommy Brown and Zandrina Dunning
*Ticketed events
Full details, times and locations for all events are available at www.mojafestival.com.