Funk Parade Festival To Hold In-Person, Virtual Events In May

DC/VIRGINIA — The 2021 DC Funk Parade Festival will have both virtual and in-person programs featuring art and entertainment. The Funk Parade has entertained and educated more than 300,000 people since its inception in 2014.

Funk Parade programming is supported by The MusicianShip, a D.C.-based nonprofit. Proceeds from the Funk Parade help support The MusicianShip’s music programs that have served more than 1,600 youth.

Tickets for the Black Broadway-themed 2021 DC Funk Parade Festival are on sale now and can be found at FunkParade.com.

This 7th annual festival will feature three key events:

• Aslin Beer Day will take place on May 1 at Aslin Beer Co. in Alexandria between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from each “Black Broadway” beer purchase will go directly towards the festival’s $5,000 fundraising goal. Funk Parade ticket holders get a free beer sample.
• The Black Broadway Mural Walk on May 5 will be led by Funk Parade Historian Bernie Demczuk of the Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation. A limited number of VIP ticket holders will be led through a curated tour of almost 15 different murals in Black Broadway. Attendees get to hear the murals come alive with music from artists, including saxophonists Reginald Cyntje and Elijah Balbed.
• A Virtual Festival on May 8 will feature performances by artists such as Langston Hughes II, Les The DJ, Onrae Lateal, Chazz G, Elevate Poetry, DMV Lady Warriors, Brides of Funkenstein, We The Fix, Roquois, Paris Sashay, Tony Woodz, Leon Scott, Rolloway Productions, and Hung Tao Choy Mei. Funk Parade will also debut its new Funk Parade Documentary, directed by Candace Carrington and produced by Michael Harrison.

“We’re thrilled to honor the history and legacy of our Black Broadway home, while celebrating the artists, musicians, and creatives that are an integral part of its present and future," Jeffery Tribble Jr., executive director of The MusicianShip, said Tuesday in a statement. "From our Funk Parade Beer to the Black Broadway Mural Walk to the Virtual Festival, there is something for everyone to enjoy and learn from."

Visit the Funk Parade website for more information about the events that run May 1-8.