About the Festival

The African Market Festival is produced by Òlàjú Art Group with the aim of showcasing a wide selection of creative African talents sourced from both the continent and its Diaspora. As a community-based organization, Òlàjú takes pride in being able to assemble a collection of important artists and brands that align with our mission and annual Festival theme.

The “African Market” is described by Festival founder and director Obafemi Ogunleye as a meeting space where various aspects of African cultures are preserved and shared for the sustainability of our global village. Essentially, our vision for the Festival is to present works for Africans and by Africans as a means to both celebrate and advance our Pan-African culture.

The Festival is primarily supported by a team of volunteers that handle everything from strategic leadership to guest registration. Since launching in 2017, over 1,000 attendees, 20 artists, and dozens of vendors have participated with numbers growing at every event.

Òlàjú Art Group is a non-profit organization founded in Nigeria and established in Texas to promote African arts & culture. The proceeds from the Festival go directly to supporting our current operations as well as future programming. For more information, visit olaju.org.

The 2024 African Market Festival

On Saturday, January 20, 2024, Òlàjú will host the eigth edition of our annual African Market Festival at Brick at Blue Start Arts Complex in San Antonio, TX. This years Festival theme is, “It Takes A Village”, as a testament to the necessity of community building. Attendees can expect to be immersed in a unique blend of African arts and culture with a focus on cross-cultural exchange.

The official program schedule will be released here at a later date.