PREVIEW: Reclaiming Joy: The Story and Spirit of Pinkster
6/7 @ Schuyler Mansion, Albany
“A rare and meaningful time to reunite with loved ones, share stories, and pass down ancestral traditions in food, music, dance, and art.”
On Saturday, June 7 from 11 AM to 4 PM, Pinkster returns to Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site–a joyful, all-ages celebration rooted in African heritage and the enduring strength of community. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
In the 1700s, Pinkster became the most important time off in the year for enslaved Africans in New York. It was a chance to rest, reunite with family, and keep cultural traditions alive. Celebrated on what was once known as Pinkster Hill (now the site of the NYS Capitol), Albany’s Pinkster reached its height between 1790 and 1810, with dancing, drumming, games, and temporary shelters woven from brush arranged in a large square. Out from under the eyes of their enslavers, people spoke African languages, played music, and honored the cultures they came from.
This year’s festival honors that legacy with a full day of performances, workshops, storytelling, and community programming at Schuyler Mansion.
Schedule Highlights Include:
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM: Open house tours of the mansion featuring Seizing Liberty, an exhibit on seven freedom seekers from the Schuyler estate—including two who made it to freedom.
11:15 AM: Dance demonstration of the West African Fanga! Led by Omonike Akinyemi with Jordan Taylor Hill
Noon: African drum and dance workshop with Jordan Taylor Hill
12:45 PM & 3:00 PM: The Pinkster Players perform songs and dances honoring the ancestors and traditions of historical Pinkster
1:30 PM: Operation Unite NY & Kuumba Dance and Drum’s Ghanaian performance with Zorkie Nelson
2:15 PM: Troy Samba brings percussive rhythms of the African diaspora in South America
2:30 PM: Storytime for younger guests (location TBD)
3:30 PM: Crowning of the Pinkster King—a symbolic nod to King Charles, the Angola-born cultural leader who once presided over Albany’s Pinkster festivals
Local vendors will be on-site throughout the day offering food, handmade goods, and creative wares. Attendees can enjoy delicious bites from Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen, browse photography from Clifford Oliver, candles from Candle Story, books from Adventures in Zen, original designs from Pris’Designs, and handcrafted pieces from Salvage & Shine and Imperfect Circle, among others.
Visitors will also have the chance to connect with a range of community organizations offering resources, educational materials, and local history. Groups like Historic Cherry Hill, The RED Bookshelf, Albany’s NAACP branch, Rapp Road Historical Association, Trinity Alliance, Art in the Park, Can Code Communities, Mukama Afayo Uganda, and Wizard’s Wardrobe will all be present to share their work and welcome conversation.
Pinkster was, and is, about more than celebration; it was a radical act of cultural survival and collective joy. For some, it was the only time all year to hear their language spoken, to reconnect with family, or even to earn and trade money.
Today, the event honors both its joyful roots and its deeper significance. A space where African traditions thrived in the face of erasure and where a community carved out its own rhythm, story, and sovereignty.
Schuyler Mansion is located at 32 Catherine Street in Albany’s South End.
For more information, call (518) 434-0834, visit parks.ny.gov, or follow Schuyler Mansion on Facebook.