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DOWAGIAC — One of Dowagiac’s signature events is set to return to the community later this month. 

The annual Black Family Celebration will be hosted from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at Walter Ward Park in Dowagiac. The three-day event will feature community speakers, educational and career booths, basketball tournaments for children and adults and family friendly entertainment. 

“I’m happy to see it continue,” said event organizer Tyree Blackamore. “It’s growing into exactly what we wanted. It gives my children an opportunity to take pride in their community and is an annual event to look forward to every year.”

​​The highlight of the celebration is the annual Small World Basketball Tournament, named in honor of Paul Williams III, who passed away last fall. In 2013, Williams III brought the Black Family Celebration back from an eight-year hiatus.

New to this year’s event is a co-ed junior basketball tournament Aug. 30 and 31, free pickleball lessons from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 31, an obstacle course and a car and bike show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31.

The event’s purpose has been to promote and unify the African American community in Dowagiac since 1991. According to Blackamore, the goal of the Black Family Celebration was to point out issues that plague the community while offering solutions without coming across as preaching. Families from Dowagiac and beyond attend the event.

Honor Credit Union of Dowagiac, 56337 M-51 S., presented Blackamore with a $1,000 check Wednesday in support of the annual summer event. 

“The tradition of celebrating the strength, resilience, and cultural heritage of Black families in our community is sure to have amazing celebration,” said HCU Community Development Officer Janie Reifenberg.

HCU is one of more than a dozen area businesses supporting the Black Family Celebration, including Lyons Industries, Broadway Cafe, Cass County Council on Aging, C. Wimberley, Hale’s Hardware, Paddletek, The Lakeland Athletic Club, New Harvest Missionary Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church Dowagiac United Methodist Church and more.

“It means everything,” Blackamore said. ‘We’re not just a community, we are a family.”

Blackamore said The Black Family Celebration does not exclude anyone and the public is welcome to attend. As the event approaches, he looks forward to the community coming together.

“It’s a passion project of mine,” he said. “My team and I have had a lot of Zoom calls and virtual meetings. I’m excited about all of it. We worked really hard this year and appreciate the community support.

For more information regarding the event, visit the “Black Family Celebration Dowagiac, MI” Facebook page.