The YMI Cultural Center, located in the heart of Asheville’s historic African American district, The Block, will host the traditional Goombay Festival beginning Friday, August 27 and continuing through Sunday, August 29.

Goombay! is back on the Block from Friday, August 27 to Sunday, August 29, with music, arts and crafts, food, drink, and most importantly, community.

Festivities begin at Noon Friday and close at 6 p.m. Sunday. The Children’s African & Caribbean Village, located in the Ray Auditorium of the YMI Cultural Center, will be available Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The YMI Cultural Center has presented Goombay! since 1982, as a contemporary interpretation of the centuries-old celebration of African-Caribbean life. Asheville’s festival is now a greener event thanks to the support of the Asheville Downtown Association and Asheville Greenworks: recycling, compost, and education to benefit our community will be available throughout the event, and all vendor waste will be recycled into biofuel by Blue Ridge Biofuels.

Goombay! appreciates support from the City of Asheville, as well as numerous local and regional organizations such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Great Smoky Mountain Drinking Water, Mission Hospitals, AT&T, Progress Energy, Pepsi-Cola, Budweiser, Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank, Simma Down, Tingles Café, and Sazerac.

More information is available at www.facebook.com/goombayashevillefestival www.twitter.com/goombayashville, and www.goombayasheville.com. Contact Tanya Presha This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (828-242-1536), or, for sponsorships, Kendra Turner This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it