The African Heritage Association of St. Louis is the parent organization of the St. Louis African Arts Festival, held in beautiful Forest Park. Each year the festival attracts a diverse audience of thousands of local residents and out-of-town visitors during the Memorial Day weekend. The Festival draws the community together in celebration of the rich contributions of Africa and the African Diaspora (diaspora--people settled far from their ancestral homelands). The annual event enjoys partnerships with major local cultural institutions as the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Public Library, the Muny, and Washington University in St. Louis.