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.