Umoja Fest celebrates unity and African culture among Seattle's Seafair celebrations

Even before there was Seafair in Seattle, there was Umoja Fest and its parade.

But about 70 years ago, the annual celebration of African heritage went by a different name. When it began in the 1940s, it was part of the International Festival that celebrated the city's ethnic diversity, according to Umoja Fest's website, combining efforts from Filipino, Black, Chinese and Japanese communities. An estimated 200,000 people attended the Second Annual International Festival to take in the sights of Chinese dragon dancers, floats and live bands.

Because of the large crowd, the city broke up the International Festival into four different festivals after just two years. From that point on, the African heritage celebration became known as the East Madison Mardi Gras.

As the years went on, it became known as the Pacific Northwest Black Community Festival, and, since 1997, Umoja Fest, derived from a Swahili word meaning "unity." The event still occurs during the first weekend in August. Credited as one of the inspirations behind Seafair, which began in the 1950s, it still takes place among the madness of Blue Angels shows and hydroplane races.

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The three-day festival includes a parade on Saturday afternoon. This year, parade participants included groups like Black Nurses Rock, Washington Diamonds Drill Team, Alliance of Black Technology Professionals and "Uncle Willy's Chocolate Factory. In addition to the parade, Umoja Fest events include live music performances, art, games, contests, a movie-in-the-park screening of "Black Panther" and family-friendly activities. The event continues through Sunday.

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"An artistic and cultural extravaganza that uniquely touches the spirit of the community, the Umoja Fest has historically been the most unifying celebration in the community, bringing people of all ethnic backgrounds together for a celebration of culture, education, social festivities and networking," the Umoja Fest website says.

To see scenes from Saturday's parade, click through the slideshow above.