‘Nothing but God’: Odunde CEO talks about 50 years of the Philadelphia festival’s history

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For 50 years, Odunde Festival has been the cultural heartbeat for the Southwest section of Center City in Philadelphia. And from the beginning, it has been — and remains — a family-run business.

Held every second Sunday in June, the festival centers around 23rd and South streets, stretching more than 15 blocks east toward Broad Street. Rooted in African heritage and community celebration, Odunde has become one of the largest and longest-running African American street festivals in the country.

Oshunbumi Fernandez-West, president and CEO of Odunde Inc., has led the festival for decades but her connection to it began long before she stepped into the top job. Her mother, Lois Fernandez, co-founded the event with Ruth Arthur in 1975.

How Odunde has come this far

“We have survived 50 years. No one thought we would have survived 50 years,” Fernandez-West said. “And to make it 50 years is nothing but God.”

Now 51, Fernandez-West has spent more than half her life managing the festival, stepping up when her mother’s health began to decline. She became her mother’s primary caregiver, nursing her through breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other health challenges.

She attributes the survival of the festival to their higher power.

“I used to ask my mom, how’d Odunde last so long?” she recalled. “My mom said, ‘Well, Odunde is God. You and I are just the vessels.’”

Fernandez-West credits divine guidance for her ability to preserve both her mother’s legacy and the festival itself. Lois Fernandez died at home surrounded by her family in August 2017.

She reflected on the patience her mother showed her as she learned the ins and outs of Odunde, using her approach along with internal reflection to guide her children through life.

“I was just telling my son the other day I don’t ever remember Mom-Mom being impatient with me,” she said, using the nickname her son calls his grandmother.

Odunde at present: The road to legacy

Over the last 50 years, Odunde expanded to encompass the majority of the northern section of South street during the festival’s run each year. Fernandez-West says the growth was not without its challenges.

“We’ve had people want to move Odunde, who wanted to stop Odunde, who didn’t want to give Odunde the proper funding,” she said. “But God had the last say, that’s what I really want people to know.”

Each year, she pours months of effort into organizing the event — often sacrificing time with her own family. She believes her mother made similar sacrifices.

“I believe that my mother sacrificed her health for her people,” she said.

In addition to running Odunde, Lois Fernandez was a single mother of two and worked full-time as a social worker for the city’s Department of Human Services.

Overall, Fernandez-West wants people to see what hard work looks like when they come to Odunde.

“I want you to know what hard work looks like,” she said about those who attend the festival and see how it has grown. “I want people to know what it looks like when you believe in yourself.”

In 2015, a report by Econsult Solutions estimated the festival brought in more than $28 million in revenue for Philadelphia and more than $700,000 in tax revenue.

“We must respect the economic driver that Odunde is,” Fernandez-West said.

Odunde has also taken a seat at the global table. It was part of an international trade roundtable aimed at building relationships between Pennsylvania businesses and African nations.

Today, the legacy includes Odunde365, a year-round slate of programs that center African and African American cultural education and wellness. The initiative hosts African dance and drumming classes, entrepreneurship workshops, and other community-focused events — especially in the week leading up to the festival.

Odunde 2025 and beyond

In 2025, Fernandez-West’s eldest son, Adeniyi Ogundana, officially took on the role of chief operating officer. Her message to him mirrors the one her mother gave her:

“I told my son what my mother told me: ‘If you want Odunde, it’s yours. However, God did not put you on this earth to live my dream,’” she said.

Ogundana, inspired to preserve the family tradition, asked how he could help ease his mother’s workload. She was honored.

“He came to me, and I was so honored that he wants to — and has the fortitude and the intelligence — to learn about Odunde,” she said.

Now, he’s leading the festival’s social media and marketing efforts, and launching a new initiative: ODUNDE Sports.

“We’ll have a soccer lounge on 17th and South,” he said. “I want to show people this is what Odunde is — bringing people together.”

With Philadelphia playing a central role in the upcoming America250 celebrations, Fernandez-West said the festival plans to be part of the historic milestone.

“We got a grant, so we can help promote the festival and the soccer lounge,” Ogundana said. “That’s what I can’t wait for — that’s what’s coming this year and next year.”

Find more information about Odunde on their website.