Kente weavers converge at Kokofu Akyeremade for national Kente fair

What started as Amansie Kente Festival five years ago is steadily
gearing up for the launch of a National Kente Fair at Kokofu
Akyeremade where the best producers of Kente in and around Ashanti
region would converge to showcase varieties of the product at the
Amansie Kente Festival billed to take place at a Kente Exhibition
during the Easter festivities.

Between March 24 and 28, 2016 the people of Akyeremade would showcase
assorted Kente at the Amansie Kente Festival, one cultural festival
which seeks to promote Kente and African fabric and unite the people
Akyeremade, Kokofu, Bekwai and surrounding towns of the Amansie
Municipality at Easter.

It will encourage the youth to develop sense of patriotism and cherish
the beauty of culture for development.

The Kente Exhibition is billed for March 25, 2016 and it is expected
to be participated by Kente manufacturing groupings from Bonwire,
Adanwomase and Adinkra Craft Centre of Ntonso in the Kwabre East
district to pitch their strength against Amansie Kente weavers based
at Kensere near Bekwai.

Over 2,000 people are expected to visit the Kente Exhibition when it
opens at the Akyeremade M/A school park.

Next year and the subsequent years, Kente weavers from Volta region
and all over the country would assemble at Akyeremade to participate
in the Fair, Mr. Patrick Adu-Gyamfi, the originator of the Amansie
Kente festival concept, has disclosed.

He indicated that the Fair would welcome exhibitors of other locally
manufactured fabrics including smock (fugu) to give the Fair a
national dimension.

A Century Village is being constructed at Akyeremade to host the
proposed National Kente Fair next year.

According to him, the national Kente Festival would be a one stop
avenue for weavers to display their wares while patrons would have the
opportunity to access different kinds of kente to choose from.
Mr. Adu-Gyamfi appealed to the Ministries of Trade and Tourism and
Culture to support the initiative.

He said to further boost the promotion of Kente, a Miss Akyeremade
Kente Pageant which was initiated in 2011, would be staged on Easter
Sunday as part of the Amansie Kente Festival.

Mr. Adu-Gyamfi said contestants are encouraged to adorn Kente during
the contest as part of the promotion of the local textile.
Century Investment Limited, producers of Century Sachet water in
Kumasi has donated a KIA Rio car as the first prize for the beauty
pageant, Miss Akyeremade 2016.

Meanwhile, six contestants have filed forms to be part of this year's
pageant and vie for the ultimate KIA Rio car.