Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site invites everyone to celebrate the Afro-Dutch holiday of Pinkster, a festival of spring, family, culture, and resistance with live music, dance, games, crafts, food, vendors, history, & more on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site (29 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, NY). Pinkster Jubilee 2026 is part of Yonkers Arts Weekend and is free and open to all.
Pinkster is the Dutch name for Pentecost, a religious holiday and celebration of spring where people took time to travel and visit family. In the New Netherland Colony, Pinkster was transformed into a unique Afro-Dutch celebration – a week of temporary freedom for enslaved people. Able to travel, earn money, and gather in groups, Pinkster allowed enslaved people to take a break from their endless work, see separated family members, preserve and pass on culture to the next generation, and resist enslavement. Celebrate African culture in America and New York’s unique history!
Join us for live music and performances from The Pinkster Players, a group of highly skilled musicians and music historians who have been studying West African music in the Americas for over 30 years. Led by acclaimed percussionist Chief Baba Neil Clarke, and including teaching artist and multi-instrumentalist Ayodele Maakheru, acclaimed fiddler Enrique “Rique” Prince, and others, the Pinkster Players bring the history of Pinkster to life – embodying the spirit of celebration and culture-keeping for Africans in America.
Experience the history and movement of capoeira in a free workshop with Professor Corjua of Capoeria Luanda, the Capoeira Center in New Rochelle, NY. Professora Coruja (Renée Rinaldi) was first introduced to capoeira while studying abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil. What originally started as an interesting topic of research, soon became a lifestyle. After graduating from college, Professora Coruja moved to NYC where she started her career as a teacher and also began searching for the right place to train capoeira. After several years of training in Harlem, she met Mestre Bom Jesus and in 2007 decided to start training under his tutelage in New Rochelle.
Engage with award-winning storyteller April Armstrong, who weaves melodies and words for a refreshing and compelling style of storytelling. Her story programs are fun and interactive. She tells stories for schools, colleges, libraries, museums and festivals. She tells multi-cultural folktales, including African-American and Latino stories. April’s stories delight, inform and inspire audiences of all ages.
Join Moody Harney of Mother Shuckers for a history of oysters in New York and Black oystermen, followed by an oyster shucking demonstration. Learn about the history of oysters and Black oystermen in New York. Ben “Moody” Harney is the founder of Mother Shuckers, the Only Oyster Cart in Brooklyn. Fascinated by the story of Thomas Downing, “the Oyster King of New York,” the son of freed slaves who peddled oysters on Wall Street in the late 1800s, and went on to open one of the most successful oyster restaurants of his time, Harney envisioned operating his own oyster cart. Ben believes the oyster could regain its place as an everyman’s food.
Learn African-style drumming with Kofi Donkor. International Award-Winning Sculptor, Master Drummer and Teacher Maxwell Kofi Donkor considers the preservation of the indigenous Ghanaian art and culture his mission. He brings the Ghanaian history and its way of life to the world. Kofi has been drumming and performing internationally for over 30 years. He directs the African drum and dance ensemble Sankofa. He uses African culture in assemblies, lectures, performances, drum circles and traditional African Ananse (spider) stories to promote diversity in all cultures: in schools, communities, conferences as well as festivals.
Plus, explore Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site’s award-winning exhibits, try your hand at Pinkster-inspired art and crafts, historical games, and visit vendor and nonprofit booths throughout the day.
Pinkster Jubilee 2026 is free and open to everyone. Sponsored by the City of Yonkers, Yonkers Arts, the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River National Heritage Area, the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
For more information and the full schedule and vendor list, visit https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/programs-and-events/pinkster-jubilee-2026
