Enkutatash means the “gift of jewels”, and is an important festival in the lives of Ethiopians.

Posted:  Tuesday, August 31, 2010


On Sunday, September 5th, the public is invited to take a walk on the cultural side at Enkutatash, the 7th Annual Ethiopian New Year Festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in downtown Berkeley, from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM.

The goal of this Festival is to commemorate Ethiopian traditions, art, and culture. This celebration will include: delicious traditional dishes, national costumes, poetry, music, children’s programs, Reggae Band Selamta, West African Highlife Band, Ethiopian Musicians Haileye Tadesse, Neway Afardew, and much more. This family friendly event is free of charge and open to all.

Enkutatash means the “gift of jewels”, and is an important festival in the lives of Ethiopians. Its celebration dates back to the days of the Queen of Sheba. After three months of heavy rain, spring comes creating a beautiful clear fresh atmosphere in Ethiopia. The highlands turn to gold as the daisies burst into flower, gifts from nature to Ethiopia. Enkutatash is traditionally celebrated in a big way in Ethiopia; just as Americans celebrate the New Year.

ECCC, the sponsor of this event, is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 to provide services and assistance to Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans in such areas as education, employment, health, language barriers, and community resources. Funding for this Festival has been provided by the Christensen Fund.

Local vendors, businesses, and artists have been invited to participate in this day of cultural diversity, and fun. If you are interested in having a booth, or need more information about the Festival, call (510) 681-5652 .