The smoke from sizzling nyama choma drifted into the air, mixing with the warm breeze, the crackle of roasting corn, and the hum of multilingual conversations.
Pavilion 3 at Gunpowder Falls State Park was alive with music, color, and laughter as hundreds gathered for the annual Kenyan Diaspora community cookout — a tradition that’s grown into one of the largest East African cultural events in the region.
Started more than 30 years ago by a few families with a single pot of food, the gathering has evolved into a cherished ritual of food, music, and cultural celebration for the Kenyan diaspora across Maryland and neighboring states. It’s typically held around the Fourth of July — a date organizers say was chosen with intention…