Celebration of historic black district returns this weekend

The Cotton Avenue Revival Festival is returning this weekend.

The celebration of the downtown historic Cotton Avenue district features performances and tours on Saturday and Sunday. The festival, free to the public, will be held on Forsyth Street, near H&H Restaurant.

A Downtown Challenge Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia was awarded to the Cotton Avenue Coalition for the festival. The coalition aims is to bring more attention to the historically black district that was once the center of black commerce, education and religion in Macon.

Events start Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and run until 7 p.m. The festival resumes Sunday at 1 p.m. with a closing ceremony at Steward Chapel AME Church, 887 Forsyth St. There will be guided walking tours Saturday from 2-4 p.m., and people will also be able to visit four historic downtown churches throughout the festival.

“The Cotton Avenue area has played a significant role in the educational, historic and cultural advancement and development of the African-American community for decades,” Alex Habersham, owner of the Macon Black Pages, said in the statement. “It is extremely important that we commemorate the past and exert continuous effort to restore and advance it for the future.”

Among the performers are the Fort Valley State Concert Choir, the Tubman Museum Percussion Performance and Community Drum Circle and the Central High School Performing Arts Ensemble.

The festival is sanctioned as a Cherry Blossom Festival event. To view the full schedule and learn more about the coalition, visit www.cottonavecoalition.org.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Celebration of historic black district returns this weekend."