Capital City Africa Week: A Celebration of Ghanaian Culture in Washington, D.C.

Dec 06, 2025 0

Capital City Africa Week and Ghana Week join together in a celebration of Ghanaian culture, business, tourism and sports. The 2024 DC Ghana Week is devoted to the celebration of Ghanaian art, culture, business, tourism, sports, food and more in Washington, DC.

DC Ghana Week, a series of events devoted to the celebration of Ghanaian art, culture, business, tourism, sports, food and more, is taking place October 7-12, 2024 in Washington, DC.

From Oct. 9-14 the Embassy of Ghana, the Ghana Tourism Authority, EventsDC, LIQUID SOUL DC and other sponsors are hosting Capital City Africa Week and Ghana Week DC. Washington D.C.'s first-ever Capital City Africa Week begins Monday, dedicated to celebrating the diversity of Africa through cultural, economic and sports events through Oct.

Hosted by the Ghana Tourism Authority, LIQUID SOUL-DC, Events DC and D.C. United, DC Ghana Week offers a variety of cultural, economic and sporting events in the nation’s capital focused on fostering economic engagement, cooperation and investment in Africa.

Events and Activities

Throughout the week, there will be several events around D.C. celebrating Ghanaian culture, fashion, art and more. The festival kicks off Monday evening with a welcome reception at the True Reformer Building, which will also house a Ghanaian art exhibition. During the week of Oct. 9, hundreds of people in D.C.

Other events of note on Oct. 9-14 include the Ghana Business Investment Forum at Howard University’s Blackburn Auditorium and the Travel and Tours Operator Forum at the Embassy of Ghana. Connect with Ghanaian Government and private sector professionals from the hospitality, travel and tour sectors to discuss trends, challenges and innovations in the industry.

For the first time, DC Ghana Week will also feature African Restaurant Week, offering the community an opportunity to experience the rich and diverse flavors of Pan-African cuisine, including African, African American and Caribbean delicacies, with special discounts and prix fixe menus at several local restaurants. Featured restaurants and food establishments include Bukom, Hezdole, Port-au-Prince Haitian Cuisine, Appioo, Serengeti Restaurant Lounge and more.

A discussion of opportunities for investing in Africa, as well a panel discussion on sports ownership.

Speakers are slated to include Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority; Mark Addo, Vice President, Ghana Football Association; Danita Johnson, President of Business Operations, D.C. United; Paxton Baker, Managing Partner, LIQUID SOUL-DC; Angie M.

Elaine Mensah, CEO of Showroom Etc., showcased her client, The Lotte Accra, at the Rosewood D.C. pop-up. Ada Anagho Brown, a D.C.-area native of Cameroon and founder of Roots To Glory, recently guided 25 families on a real estate tour in Ghana. While at the Ghana Business Forum at Howard University’s Blackburn Center, she questioned, “We are in the beginning stages of this process so I want to know what’s the track, what can I tell them?

“We want Americans to come to Ghana to experience the culture, to experience the weather, to experience all the beautiful tourist attractions in Ghana,” said Okyere.

Capital City Africa Cup

The week of events is anchored by the inaugural Capital City Africa Cup at Audi Field on Saturday, Oct. 14. The week is anchored by the second annual “Capital City Africa Cup,” played this year between 24-time Ghanaian Men’s Premier League champions, Asante Kotoko, and one of Major League Soccer’s most decorated clubs, D.C. United, at Audi Field.

The match brings sports to the forefront as an important connective tissue that binds us and provides a critical platform for celebration, shared values and amplification of diaspora ties.

D.C. United will go against Ghana Premier League’s Medeama SC in a friendly match.

The Capital City Africa Week Festival, in its first year, featured events at the Ghanaian embassy, a panel at Howard University’s Blackburn Center, and a fashion pop-up at the five-star Rosewood Washington, D.C. It culminated with the match at Audi Field, D.C. Ghanaian champions Medeama were defeated 2-1 to D.C United in an international friendly match at Audi Field as a part of Ghana Week DC promoting Ghana in DC.

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With a 2-1 win in the inaugural Capital City Africa Cup, D.C. United defeated Ghanaian champions Medeama SC.

D.C. United training and Asante Kotoko training will be open to the media.

"The Capital City Africa Cup embodies the unifying power of soccer, and we were thrilled to host the Ghanaian Premier League Champions, Medeama SC, at Audi Field last fall. It's important for our club to create meaningful opportunities within our city and to support the vibrant Ghanaian community here.

“D.C. United is proud to be part of DC Ghana Week celebrating Ghanaian art, culture, business, tourism, and sports right here in Washington, DC," said Danita Johnson, President of Business Operations at D.C. United.

D.C. United team at Audi Field

Statements and Visions

“Following a successful first year, we are excited to bring DC Ghana Week, a massive celebration of African culture, back to our nation's capital,” added Liquid Soul-DC Managing Partner Paxton Baker.

Baker plans to rotate the visiting nations for the Cup and Capital City Africa week to enhance D.C. residents’ understanding of Africa.

“It would be nice to have something with African roots in the United States because there’s plenty of Americans, particularly African Americans who have a solid love for Africa, but have never been given the opportunity, or never took the opportunity to actually go to Africa,” said Baker.

“Black people are the core of our DNA, whether we know it or not, is Africa,” said Baker.

“Ghana was the first country of choice in Africa for the international initiative, dubbed ‘Obviously DC’ by the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development, to develop a special strategy to promote and establish businesses and now reached an understanding of Ghana’s business ecosystem which has led to business deals in the pharmaceutical area and more,” Mahama continued.

“I am a native Washingtonian, I am first generation, my parents are originally from Ghana,” said Mensah. The entrepreneur expressed her excitement about D.C.’s growing appreciation for her heritage.

About D.C. United and Audi Field

One of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer in 1996, D.C. United have called the District home for the last 28 seasons and play their home games at Audi Field in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of Southwest, Washington, D.C, which opened in 2018.

The iconic 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium is nestled in a prime location along the capitol riverfront, the fastest growing area in downtown D.C, and is the permanent home of D.C. United.

Opened in July 2018, Audi Field is a premiere entertainment and event destination and was the host of the 2023 MLS All-Star Game vs. Arsenal FC. Complete with a state-of-the-art FanDuel sportsbook, 500 premium field-level seats, 31 luxury suites, and one of the steepest stadium grades in sports, Audi Field offers fans a truly unique gameday experience.

The Black-and-Red train at the Inova Performance Complex, a state-of-the-art training facility and performance center located in Leesburg, Va. In addition to D.C.

Background and Context

In recent years, Ghana has prioritized building relationships with African Americans and others in the African diaspora. The Year of Return, Ghana 2019, was an initiative by the Ghanaian government and the D.C.-based Adinkra Group.

These events come not too long after protests broke out in Ghana in response to an economic crisis that has left the West African nation further indebted to the International Monetary Fund.