To celebrate cultural heritage and the contributions of a family whose roots began with the work of a freed slave to the entrepreneurial spirit of her descendants, Historic Columbia Foundation presents the 32nd annual Jubilee: Festival of Heritage.

The event will be held on Saturday, August 28 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Mann–Simons Cottage, 1403 Richland Street in Columbia, South Carolina. Admission is free.

Jubilee features a variety of activities including hands–on demonstrations from some of the regions most skilled artists and craftsmen, musical entertainment including African drumming, R&B, jazz, and gospel, and vendors with African–influenced and traditional merchandise. Visitors can enjoy tours of the Mann–Simons Cottage, African–American heritage sites tours, and many other activities throughout the day.

This year, the festival will host a cooking contest and cooking demonstrations.

As a popular family attraction, the Jubilee: Festival of Heritage has honored the life of Celia Mann and her descendants. Mann, an enslaved Charlestonian midwife, gained her freedom, walked to Columbia, and acquired a circa–1850 cottage before the Civil War.

Her descendants occupied the home for more than 100 years until it was restored as a house museum in the 1970s. The Mann–Simons Cottage has statewide significance as one of only a few houses in South Carolina once owned by free blacks in antebellum days and now preserved as historic house museums. The collections in the cottage reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of free blacks. An exhibition presents information on Celia Mann and her descendents, the restoration of the cottage, and the archaeological excavation at the site.

For more information on the 2010 Jubilee: Festival of Heritage call, 803.252.1770, ext. 33 or visit www.HistoricColumbia. org.