We Came. We Danced. We Ate. And We Told Our Stories: Inside Fife’s First Afro-Caribbean Summer Festival
Every once in a while, a moment happens that reminds you why you do what you do. For me, that moment came in the middle of a park in Dunfermline, surrounded by the scent of jerk chicken, the sound of drumming, and the sight of heritage worn like royalty. Fife’s first Afro-Caribbean Summer Festival was more than a gathering. It was a living, breathing love letter to Black culture in Scotland.
And Black Scottish Stories was right there in the heart of it all.
A Celebration Written in Fabric, Flavour and Fierceness
The sun may have hidden behind the clouds, but the colours more than made up for it. I saw a couple walk by in matching Isi Agu outfits, their shoulders squared with quiet pride. If you know, you know (wink)! Isi Agu, the lion-head patterned fabric worn by the Igbo people of Nigeria, isn’t just clothing. It's a legacy.
A few minutes later, I caught sight of a man and his children, all of them rocking Zulu headpieces like crowns. They weren’t performing. They weren’t posing. They were simply being. And in that being, they told a story that needed no words: We are African, and we are here.
”People didn’t just come to consume. They came to connect.”
AyaLash
A Celebration Written in Fabric, Flavour and Fierceness
The sun may have hidden behind the clouds, but the colours more than made up for it. I saw a couple walk by in matching Isi Agu outfits, their shoulders squared with quiet pride. If you know, you know (wink)! Isi Agu, the lion-head patterned fabric worn by the Igbo people of Nigeria, isn’t just clothing. It's a legacy.
A few minutes later, I caught sight of a man and his children, all of them rocking Zulu headpieces like crowns. They weren’t performing. They weren’t posing. They were simply being. And in that being, they told a story that needed no words: We are African, and we are here.
Taste the Culture? We Did — And Then Some
From Jollof rice to plantain to Caribbean cocktails that kissed your throat with warmth, the food stalls were a festival all on their own. Vendors sold Afro-Caribbean fashion, waist beads, crafts, and skincare rooted in tradition. It wasn’t just shopping. It was storytelling. Every item on those tables came with history.
People didn’t just come to consume. They came to connect.
"What About White African Stories?"
That question stopped me in my tracks.
I’d been speaking to a man who said he was born in Uganda. As we chatted, he looked at me earnestly and asked, “Do you do White African stories too?” It caught me off guard. Not because of the question, but because of the genuine hunger to be included, even by someone whose story doesn’t fit the typical racial script.
And that, right there, is what this festival did.
It created a space where stories, of identity, migration, memory and pride, could rise to the surface.
Why Events Like This Matter in Scotland
Too often, Black communities in Scotland are spoken of, but not to. We're visible, but not always seen. Events like this flip that narrative. They celebrate culture without diluting it. They allow Black immigrants, Black Scots, and Afro-Caribbean families to gather, to laugh, to dance, and to say, unapologetically, ‘’we belong.’’
And for those passing by who didn’t quite understand what was happening? They were welcomed too. Because culture isn’t a gate. It’s a bridge.
Watch the Highlights
We captured some of these unforgettable moments in this Instagram reel. Watch it and let the rhythm pull you in.
You’ll see joy. You’ll see pride. You’ll see people who aren’t just surviving the Scottish experience. They’re enriching it.
Lovely outing. Hmmm white African stories is an interesting angle.
So proud to be black and African. Loved every story. Would love to go for an occasion like this some day. Kudos to you 👍🏽