About

Our Inspiration

Every cultural community, unique in its mode of dress, food, language, beliefs and customs, adds to the sight, sound, taste and smell of NYC. However, this great city is often plagued by hate crimes. Inspired by the desire of retired NYPD Chief of Department, Philip Banks III, to have ‘Police and Community working together to combat issues of racial/ethnic discrimination and violence in New York City, the Celebrate Diversity Celebrate You Festival was founded in 2010. The name of the festival changed to NYC Multicultural Festival in 2014 because it is a celebration of New York City and its many diverse cultural traditions.

Parent Company

New York African Chorus Ensemble, Inc. the parent company of NYC Multicultural Festival, is a 501(c) 3 organization which, among other things, employs the arts as a tool to combat the issues of racial, ethnic, and religious intolerance in our community. Joyce Adewumi is the president and founder of the New York African Chorus Ensemble Inc (NYACE) and NYC Multicultural Festival.

Ms. Adewumi is the recipient of the International Artists for Peace and World Harmony’s 2011 ‘World Harmony Award’ and the 2012 ‘Blue Heart’ award from Berlin, Germany. In 2013, she received a Proclamation from the New York City Council awarded by Council Members Robert Jackson and Inez Dickens and a Congressional Proclamation from Congressman Charles Rangel.

To mark the 10th year anniversary of the NYC Multicultural Festival, proclamations were given by Mayor de Blasio, Senator Robert Jackson and the Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

About Us

Community Board 9

Nestled in West Harlem, Community Board 9, is the most diverse community on the island of Manhattan. Since 2013 Community Board 9 has been one of the major partners working hard to make sure that this festival remains in our community as a platform that provides opportunities for artists to showcase their music, dance, cuisine, wearable art, etc., while fostering greater collaboration between the various cultural communities, and ensuring that relevant information about health, economic development, youth issues, senior issues, arts and culture, etc. are outreached to a larger segment of the community.

NYPD Manhattan North Precinct Community Council

NYACE is concerned about building bridges of understanding and friendship among the various cultural communities in our city, connecting all New Yorkers to the resources available to them, and celebrating the multicultural uniqueness of New York City. The NYC Multicultural Festival is a project that encourages the partnership of the Precinct Community Councils, elected officials, law enforcement, social services organizations and the general public in celebration of the diverse cultural expressions of the Human Race. This is our collective contribution to making NYC safer for all of us.

West Harlem Development Corporation

A lifeline to nonprofit organizations in West Harlem is the West Harlem Development Corporation which has funded many programs that support retail and food vendors. The NYC Multicultural Festival provides vending opportunities for entrepreneurs who wish to promote their products to the thousands of people who attend our festival.

Working with the office of the Borough President and funded by West Harlem Development Corporation, New York African Chorus Ensemble organizes free Vendor Workshops which help potential vendors, especially in Community Board 9, understand the process of getting a Temporary Street Vendor License as a pathway, or not, to eventually getting a storefront. Interested individuals can contact us anytime to find out the date and time of our workshops.