~Photo by Mark Jones.

The 2nd Annual Evolution of Hip Hop Festival will take place in Union Square Plaza in Somerville on September 17 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

The Evolution of Hip Hop Festival was created to share positive hip hop music and spoken word with people of all ages, and share the history of hip hop music and what it brings to our communities.

The festival will include musical performances by local artists, spoken word performances, vendors, and hands-on activities. The festival will highlight the talents from the Somerville community and surrounding cities and showcases Hip Hop culture throughout the decades. This is a free, family-friendly festival.

This festival is an ArtsUnion production put on as a collaboration between the City of Somerville Arts Council and SCATV’s Somerville Line producer Yvette Wilks with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

This festival will feature:

• MC’s Crystal Chandler & Shardai Sam-Clarke
• Spoken word presentation about the evolution of the hip hop culture by Donnie Dixon
• Dance performances by The CONcept Artists, Present-Day Dance Theatre & Sinha’ Capoeira Boston
• Art, interactive activities & local community groups
• Spoken word & hip hop open mic

To sign up for the open mic sessions email: watsdawurd@gmail.com

For more information, visit www.somervillema.gov, or www.somervilleartscouncil.org.