ROCKFORD — A three-day celebration of Black culture, history and creativity returns this weekend to the historic African American Resource Center at Booker.
The nearly 100-year-old community center, 1005 S. Court St., will host Bookerfest 2025, “This Is Us” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event is free to attend.
The event includes live music daily — blues, gospel, jazz and classic R&B — as well as a variety of food and merchandise vendors, stage performances, hands-on educational workshops, and Black history panels that focus on the legacy of vital institutions including the Black-owned newspaper The Crusader. The event also includes a fashion show, carving demonstrations with Food Network star Lincoln Bias, game tournaments in spades and dominoes, and it closes with a Gospel Day for spiritual reflection and worship…