Black Masking Cultural Festival: The 2018 Tricentennial Edition will take over Crescent Park on Thursday, March 15. In celebration of the opening of St. Joseph’s night weekend, the free cultural-enrichment festival will feature three Black Masking tribes, brass bands and an outdoor concert on the river.

Three-hundred-plus years of Black Masking Indian history will be commemorated by performances from the 7th Ward Hard Head Hunters, Red Cheyenne and Shaka Zulu & Golden Feather Tribe. Together, the tribes will participate in a tribal second line and drum circle. A professional face painter will be on site at the family-friendly affair, which runs from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. On deck at the outdoor concert stage will be Power 102.9FM and Old School 106.7FM, plus local arts and food vendors will keep guests inspired and well-fed. The Black Masking Cultural Festival is hosted by Fiend International Jones (better known simply as Fiend), a veteran hip-hop artist whose career dates back to the early 1990s.

To learn more about the Black Masking Indian culture logon to bnola.love where viewers will find the oral history now in print and video format.