APDS Celebration of Families Festival

APDS CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES FESTIVAL (formerly FESTAC) is an event presented annually by APDS (Africentric Personal Development Shop, Inc.) and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, in collaboration with other community based organizations.

The year 2010 marked the eighth year that the festival has been hosted in Columbus, Ohio at the Driving Park Community Park.  The day was filled with activities for every age, including:

  • Table Game Pavilions for every age group
  • Health Pavilion with screenings, and a fitness walk with the Driving Park Walking Club
  • “Market Place” for vendors of all kinds
  • Arts Pavilion
  • Food
  • Live entertainment

“CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES FESTIVAL” Events and Activities

Exhibitors and Vendors- The “CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES” 2011 will bring together vendors from various arenas such as, art, jewelry and clothing, various ethnic foods, health education and more. The festival will include; health, art, and table games pavilions, each hosting a variety of exhibits and activities. The health pavilion will offer several health organizations including the Central Ohio Diabetes Association, the Columbus Health Department, and the Driving Park Walking Club, offering various education and screenings to the “Celebration of Families” participants. The Arts Pavilion will offer an airbrush artist, face painting, and arts and crafts.  There will be inflatable play stations for the children. The adult pavilion will be filled with activities such as bingo and card games; and other various social activities.

Entertainment- The APDS “CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES” will provide a variety of live entertainment throughout the day. Sounds of reggae, jazz, neo-soul, gospel, and spoken word poetry filled the air with melodious sounds of excitement and celebration, inviting participants to join in.

Sponsors/Collaborators- APDS, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department were the primary sponsors of APDS CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES FESTIVAL 2010 and were joined by Radio One, Berwick K-8 Alternative School, Aaron’s Rental, Driving Park Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, TAWI Family Village of Elders and several other community-based organizations and corporate and private donors to help make the event a success.  We plan to work with many of these same partners and sponsors this year.

Each area of the event will be alive and vibrant with community members who came out in numbers to participate in activities and socialize. Over the years, our attendance has increased from 300 attendees in 2002 to as many as 1000 attendees in recent years.

With the increase in attendance over the past six (6) years, APDS CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES has certainly proven to be a success and demonstrates the need and desire in the community to bring cultures together to highlight unity in the community.

With the help of community organizations such as the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, Driving Park Area Safety Committee, Livingston Avenue Area Commission, Radio One, APDS and community volunteers, this event will continue to thrive for years to come.

Celebration of Families Demographics
Expected Attendance: 1,000 participants

Ethnicity:

  • African/African American - 85%
  • Caucasian - 12%
  • Other - 3%

Gender:
Male - 45%
Female - 55%

Age: Full Range

Household Income:Full Range

Media Coverage

Television
Celebration of Families will provide notification to all major, local television stations, offering the opportunity to cover the event throughout the day.

Radio
Radio promotions begin two weeks prior to the event on the three major radio stations, Power 107.5, Magic 106.3, and Jack 98.9.

Newspaper & Print
APDS Celebration of Families will issue press release notification to all available media outlets in Central Ohio as well as offer local journalists and photographers press credentials to cover the event. Written communication such as fliers and postcards will be released to the public.

For vendor applications, click here.