Kickin' It: Dance Africa Festival 2011

Hey loves! Hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend! So if you follow me on Twitter, you probably heard me yapping about my Memorial Day plans this weekend. Yesterday, I spent the good part of my Memorial Day in Brooklyn (my home away from home on summer weekends) at the Dance Africa festival & bazaar.

Gemstone rings from vendor at Dance Africa

I've been attending the festival for a few years now and it is absolutely the highlight of my Memorial Day Weekend. It's a themed festival and bazaar that's hosted by the Brooklyn Academy of Music each year, in celebration of African culture & heritage. They run African dance shows throughout the weekend, movie screenings, you name it! And for three days, vendors from all over the city come to sell these AMAZING goods i.e food, jewelry, handbags, kente cloth, hair products, you name it!

Here's a peek at my amazing time at the festival:

Earring display at Dance Africa

One of my favorite things about the outdoor bazaar are the amazing jewels for sale. 

Also the adorable ethnic kente cloth creations. These dresses by Pauline Asmah were beautiful.

This fruit punch with chunks of fresh fruit gave me LIFE yesterday. Might have been the highlight of my day drinking this. Yum! (By the way, my leopard nails are courtesy Sally Hansen Salon Effects, post on that coming soon)

Also for sale are various beauty products. I was drawn into this booth with all-natural hair and body products, called Jahbulani - they're based in Brooklyn. Check them out at Jahbulaniproducts.com.

And of course, the street style was on POINT! Love seeing natural divas at the Dance Africa festival flaunt their tresses and their amazing sense of style. Check out my street chic pics:

Janine Maxwell

I spotted Janine from down the block and had to track her down to snap a pic of her look. Love how she mixed this painted vintage top with tailored cropped pants and flats. Chic!

Adia Ware, Designer

Jewelry designer Adia kept it afrocentric with this printed strapless romper that I loved! Cowry shell leather sandals and gold earring round off her look. Check out her jewels at www.MercurySun.etsy.com

Ayana, singer

This fly diva Ayana is a singer, part of a group called Aries. Her hair was everything to me - so fun! And those tie dyed pants and retro shades were to die for.

Ni'Ma Ford, Wardrobe Stylist

Color is the key to looking vibrant. Stylist Ni'Ma Ford capitalized on the bright sunny day in an electric shade of green.

Marjon Carlos, Tara Liggins, Devin Butler

This group of friends caught my eye with their cute ensembles and amazing accessories. Never underestimate the power of a great handbag!

Tafari Powis

The belt! The pants! The tie! I was living and dying for Tafari's amazing getup. Aren't you?

Me at Dance Africa 2011

 And here's what I rocked for the occasion! Had such a blast at the festival. 

Top: Soho Boutique find (don't know the brand!), Skirt: Vintage, Sandals: H&M, Bag, Shades, Chain: Vintage,  Watch: Michael Kors.

Sidenote: Cece's curls are back! My hair has grown so much since I chopped it off in November so I plan to wear it out more often. I even managed to pull it all up into a top knot - woohoo! More hair posts to come this summer, I promise!

How did you spend your Memorial Day weekend? I wanna know!