Revelers at the Chale Wote Street Art Festival lit up the Osu Castle Junction into a lively arena of jamboree on Friday night with music and cultural performances bringing the festival to a close, filled with joy and excitement.
Basking in the sea breeze from the nearby coast, revelers filled the streets, dancing and laughing, gripped in the carnival spirit that has come to define the annual festival.
Sipping their liquor in and around makeshift bars, barbecue and kenkey joints, shisha lounges, cocktail stands and pork grills along the roadside, the festival goers mingled and feasted under the open sky.
Whilst the air was rich with the aroma of sizzling pork and steamed Kenkey that drew long queues of hungry festival goers, shisha joints and local drink stands also became relaxed corners for merrymakers to unwind as they soaked in the sounds of highlife, afrobeats and street performances.
Despite the crowds, the atmosphere remained peaceful, filled with nothing but joy, art and shared cultural pride.
Security personnel and volunteers helped maintain order as hundreds moved freely within the space.
By midnight, the Castle Junction had become more than a street; it was a living canvas of Ghanaian creativity, community and celebration under the stars.
“Chale, the vibes here be different, pure energy everywhere. Tonight, I will dance and drink my head off,” a 27-year-old Kwesi Ziggi, who danced with LED Face Paint, said.
Ama Original, a sculptor, who sketched graffiti on a mural wall, said: “This be the real Accra – art, music and freedom all in one place. Every year I come and every year it blows my mind. Chale Wote never disappoints.”
As the night grew older, the faces of the merrymakers glowed with memories of a jamboree to remember and as they drifted apart, each carried a piece of the jamboree’s magic with them – a smile, a song or a funny moment to share with others.
The night may have ended, but the memories would live on, cherished until the next gathering. With happy hearts and tired feet, the revelers looked forward to reliving the moments in stories and dreams.