Balafon Presents: Black River African Dance Fest
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10:00am – 8:00pm Cultural Market, Mindful Space & Workshops
7:30pm Performance: Down by the Riverside (Doors open at 7 pm)
Sunday, October 18, 2026
11:00am – 4pm Cultural Market & Workshops
3:00pm – Performance: Down by the Riverside (Doors open at 2:30 pm)
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Cultural Market & Workshop: Free
Performance: Pay What Moves You, $20 – $45
Since 2012, Black River African Dance Fest has been about creating and presenting new African dance productions and bringing celebrated global artists to Pittsburgh, connecting the city to the depth and artistry of African culture it wouldn’t otherwise get to experience up close. The name comes from Balafon founder Mama Kadiatou Conte, who drew on the Bafing River, running through Guinea, Senegal, and Mali, seat of the ancient Mali Empire, as her metaphor for connecting cultures into Pittsburgh.
Join Balafon in an experience of lifting spirits and putting burdens down together, through music, song, and movement. This intimate studio setting holds space for the joy and safety these traditions have long carried, together with Balafon’s full live orchestra and special guests Sankofa Village for the Arts and Kaloum Djembe, joined by members of Pittsburgh’s African dance community, for an all-generations celebration up close.
Browse the lobby market for African cultural finds, from jewelry to textiles to goods from local vendors. With an immersive weekend of workshops alongside the performances, it’s truly a fête: a celebration in the truest sense.
Photo Credit: John Ford, King of King Studios