Somali Day Festival returns to Minneapolis for first time in three years

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Sunday July 3, 2022

Minneapolis (HOL) - Tens of thousands of revellers donning the blue and white colours of the Somali flag descended on West Lake St in Minneapolis on Saturday for a day festival to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Somali Independence.

It was the first time that the annual event was held in three years due to the global pandemic, and as many as 40,000 people took part in the day-long festivities.

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Three blocks of Lake Street were closed to traffic to make room for the block party.

Over the past decade, the day festival has grown from a single city block with less than 5,000 participants.

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the country and one of the largest in the world.

Daud Mohamed, The chairman and director of Somali Week, said that the festival was an opportunity to celebrate Somali culture in their adopted country.

"Most of us came to this country with next to nothing as refugees, and we were built new lives here. We're grateful and honoured to be celebrating our native cultures and traditions in such an expressive way here in Minneapolis."

The event was serviced by over 40 vendors who offered food, drinks, clothing, flags and other cultural items.

Somali Week is put on annually without any grants. Local and major businesses provide funding for the Somali Week festivities through sponsorships.

"Minneapolis is sometimes referred to as "Little Mogadishu. We are part and parcel of this community, and local and major businesses recognize that. They are aware of our purchasing power, community involvement and civic activism, and we're grateful for their support," Daud Mohamed told Hiiraan Online.

Organizers anticipated this year's events to be the biggest after a three-year hiatus.

"I've been coming to Somali Week yearly with my kids for nearly a decade. They are really excited about it this year. Many of us didn't get the opportunity to do a lot of outdoor family activities since the onset of the pandemic, so we're happy to be outside again and celebrating together."

Somalis from across the diaspora drove and flew into Minnesota for the celebrations, with some coming as far as the UK and Finland.

The family-friendly festival had face-painting, henna, and a petting zoo for children to enjoy.

The main stage had traditional dancers and singers who belted some of Somalia's well-known hits to the rocking crowd.

The police presence, typical for an event of this size in a major American city, was provided mainly by Somali-American police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department.

Mohamed Farah, Executive Director of Ka Joog and one of the principal organizers of Somali Week, said that although the festival was amoment for jubilation, there is still concern about the ongoing record drought threatening the lives of 6 million Somalis.

The main cause for this year's Somali Week is the famine in Somalia. It is the worst drought in 40 years. We're mobilizing the participants to get active and donate so we can stave off the catastrophe."

The festivities are set to continue throughout Somali Week, which runs from July 2nd to July 17th throught Minneapois and the Twin Cities area.

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