A free, all-ages celebration of African heritage returns to North Chicago this Saturday, bringing a full afternoon of R&B, gospel and spoken-word performances to the Greenbelt Cultural Center. Afrofest runs from 2 to 7 p.m. at 1215 Green Bay Road, with free admission and free parking, and organizers are encouraging attendees to bring lawn chairs, blankets or a picnic to spread out on the grounds.
The festival is organized by the Lake County Forest Preserves, and according to Shaw Local, this year's lineup is headlined by Chicago-born R&B singer Mike De'Cole, whose soulful sound and heartfelt lyrics draw on real-life experience. His music has earned international recognition, including two songs that reached the London charts — a resume detailed further by SoulTracks, which reports his 2018 single “Let's Lay Back” hit No. 1 on the UK Soul Chart, followed by his 2021 track “Nights Like This,” which also topped soul charts in the UK and Grenada. De'Cole takes the stage from 6 to 7 p.m., capping a lineup that also includes Dwill at 3:05 p.m., Andrea Gomez at 4 p.m., Jamià Àna at 4:30 p.m. and Men of the City at 5 p.m.
The day kicks off with a DJ at 2 p.m., followed by an emcee and formal introduction at 3 p.m. and closing remarks at 7 p.m. Attendees can relax on the lawn between sets and grab food from local vendors throughout the afternoon, per the same Shaw Local report. Event details are posted at lcfpd.org/afrofest, and questions can be directed to 847-968-3477.
A Commissioner's Case for Cultural Programming
Forest Preserves Commissioner Angelo Kyle said Afrofest is a way to experience the energy and diversity of African culture, adding that the festival offers outstanding live music in a beautiful outdoor setting. Kyle's remarks reflect a broader push he championed during his six years as board president across three terms from 2018 to 2024, when he spearheaded initiatives to expand staff diversity training and increase workforce diversity, according to the Lake County Forest Preserves. Kyle was first elected to the forest preserve board in 1990.
The Greenbelt Cultural Center itself spans 18,500 square feet, including the 4,460-square-foot Grand Woodland Hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, two outdoor patios and an amphitheater capable of holding up to 500 standing guests. The venue sits within the 617-acre Greenbelt Forest Preserve along Green Bay Road, a route originally used by Native Americans and early fur traders. The Lake County Forest Preserves district notes the land carries deeper historical weight: it was purchased in 1847 by Alfred Bennett, brother of Amos Bennett, recognized as Lake County's first Black settler.
A District With Regional Reach
Afrofest is part of a forest preserve system that oversees more than 31,200 acres of natural land and over 200 miles of trails, operating on an annual budget exceeding $85 million as of fiscal year 2025, per the district's own figures. The Greenbelt Cultural Center's banquet hall and community programming space were expanded by 11,000 square feet in a project that broke ground in 2010, according to the Daily Herald.
Afrofest's return also lands in a city where the demographics make the festival's focus especially resonant. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show roughly 25% of North Chicago's approximately 30,600 residents identify as Black or African American, while more than 40% identify as Hispanic or Latino. The festival also fits into a wider pattern of African heritage programming across the region this month, with AfroCultureFest set for August 29 at Washington Park in Chicago, according to Ticketstripe.
A Familiar Address for North Chicago News
The Greenbelt Cultural Center grounds have made local headlines beyond festival season. In May, Hoodline reported that police located a vehicle connected to a hit-and-run investigation at the entrance of Greenbelt Forest Preserve, across from the cultural center. That same month, the city broke ground on a 20.5-acre-foot stormwater detention basin near Lewis Avenue and 20th Street, a $1.7 million state-backed project meant to curb flooding that has affected more than 700 residential structures nearby.
For Saturday, the focus returns to celebration rather than infrastructure or investigation. Full event details, including the schedule and vendor information, are posted at lcfpd.org/afrofest, and general questions about Lake County Forest Preserves programs and events can be directed to 847-367-6640.
