The Original Collard Greens Cultural Festival has its roots in East Palo Alto, California.  Festival founder, Dr. Mama Nobantu Ankoanda began the festival in 1998 as a way to raise funds for the Shule Mandela Academy. Today the festival is highly anticipated to expand to other cities such as Chicago, Houston,  Detroit and other cities nationally and internationally. The festival has been in Georgia since 2010 and as a result, it has been hosted by three different communities within the Metro-Atlanta: The

Shrine of the Black Madonna, Vine City Opportunity Program, Inc. and the City of Lithonia. These community partners have elevated the Collard Greens Cultural Festival to another level. Finally, we are pleased to all are willing to continue to share their resources, time and energy with us.

 

 

The first Original Collard Green Cultural Festival in 2010 was a resounding success!  Many new collaborations arose out of this festival, including the People's Village Project, the Center for Sustainable Living, the Sustainable Seeds Initiative and an exciting Black Farmer's Market.

 

 

The upcoming 2025 festival will be the 16th annual and we look forward to OCGCF being a permanent tradition in Georgia as it is in East Palo Alto, California. We look forward to the day that the Collard Greens Cultural Festival will be a festival sustained throughout the nation.