Preparation for AFRICANFEST-NYC took of at the famous McDonald Restaurant on Bay Street, Staten Island, NY in June 2016, when O. Ajayi and O. Ceesay, (the festival organizers) met to discuss the festival and agreed to further discussed after returning from the August 13th & 14th, 2016, Annual FESTAFRICA in Silver Spring, MD., USA.
On August 19th, 2016, the organizers met again and decided that the festival would be held on August 19th & 20th, 2017.
In naming the festival, several names were bounced around before they settled on "African Arts & Cultural Festival (AFRICANFEST-NYC)" so as to accommodate the realities of African unity.
