The Inaugural Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr. Afro–New Orleans Festival of Literature and Culture will take place on Saturday, January 24, from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at the André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice (ACC).

The event honors the legacy of the late leader of the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society and is the vision of his widow, Mrs. Herreast Harrison, and daughter, Maroon Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson.

“My mother envisioned a festival that would honor my father’s love of reading and the cultural expressions of New Orleans,” says Harrison-Nelson. “The Inaugural Big Chief Donald Harrison, Sr. Afro–New Orleans Festival of Literature and Culture is a collaboration with ACC to bring complimentary books and cultural presentations to children throughout the city.”

Big Chief’s son, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. is a renowned New Orleans jazz saxophonist, composer and cultural leader, known as the Big Chief of the Congo Square Nation, who fuses traditional Afro-New Orleans culture with modern jazz, funk, hip-hop, and R&B, creating styles like Nouveau Swing and Quantum Jazz, while also mentoring diverse artists and preserving rich cultural traditions. He’s a Grammy-nominated musician, NEA Jazz Master, and a significant figure in both contemporary music and Mardi Gras Indian heritage

Festival highlights include a performance by Charmaine Neville, demonstrations by several of the city’s culture bearers, literary presentations, and a special screening of the documentary Guardians of the Flame. All children in attendance will receive up to three complimentary books, while supplies last. Free bilingual books and free books for adults will also be available.

For more information, including a complete festival schedule, visit the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society on Facebook.