LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - An annual cultural celebration returns to Lexington this weekend.

The ‘Roots and Heritage Festival’ begins on Friday. The festival celebrates African American culture and the city’s various communities. The leaders behind the event view it as a peaceful way to engage the community.

The 36th Annual Root and Heritage Festival will take place on Friday. The chair of the festival says the event has come a long way since its first event in 1989.

“It was a one-day festival that sat on Elm Street between Third and Fourth Street and over the years it has grown and grown,” said Kimberly Baird, the festival chair of the Root and Heritage Festival.

She says this weekend’s festival will span over three days, offering food, information, and entertainment.

“It is one of the

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