The morning sun rises over Winneba with a golden glow, but the town is already alive. Drums roll across the air as distant thunder, warriors wrapped in colourful cloth gather at the edge of the bush, and crowds line the streets with anticipation.

In the heart of Ghana’s Central Region, the Aboakyer Festival, literally meaning “hunting for game”, has begun.

Celebrated by the Effutu people on the first Saturday of May, Aboakyer is one of Ghana’s most thrilling traditional festivals. Its roots stretch back centuries to the migration of the Effutu ancestors, who believed a powerful deity named Penkye Otu protected their community.

According to oral history, the god once demanded a human sacrifice each year. Over time, elders successfully negotiated a substitution: instead of a person, the people would present a live bush deer captured from the forest. That compromise gave birth to the festival as it is known today.

The climax of Aboakyer is the dramatic deer hunt. Two rival Asafo companies—traditional warrior groups known as Tuafo No. 1 and Dentsifo No. 2—race into the surrounding bush to capture a live deer using only their bare hands. No weapons are allowed.

When the first group emerges from the forest carrying the struggling animal high above their heads, the crowd erupts in cheers, drumming, and dancing. Victory brings honour not just to the hunters, but to the entire company they represent.

Beyond the hunt, Winneba becomes a vibrant stage for tradition. Chiefs in elaborate regalia sit in state during a colourful durbar, while dancers spin to the rhythms of local drums and horns.

Families reunite, visitors flood the streets, and the town transforms into a celebration of identity and belonging.

Yet Aboakyer is more than spectacle. Spiritually, it is an offering of gratitude and protection to Penkye Otu. Socially, it renews bonds within the community and connects younger generations to the courage and beliefs of their ancestors.

For travellers exploring Ghana’s cultural landscape, witnessing Aboakyer is unforgettable. It is not merely a festival—it is a living story of negotiation, resilience, and communal pride, unfolding in the energetic heart of Winneba.

The search for Ghana’s next cultural ambassador is about to begin. In Accra this April, confident young women will step forward to compete in the fifth season of Miss Akwaaba, a pageant that blends beauty with heritage, storytelling, and tourism advocacy.

For thirteen weeks, contestants will be immersed in a journey that celebrates the country’s traditions while preparing them to represent Ghana on a global stage.

Organised by Ceejay Multimedia in partnership with Tour Motherland Ventures in the United States, the competition has steadily grown into one of Ghana’s most culture-focused pageants.

Auditions for Season 5 will run from April 20 to April 25 at the Ceejay TV Studios, where aspiring contestants will present not just poise and talent, but also their knowledge of Ghana’s customs, languages, and tourism destinations.

Unlike conventional pageants, Miss Akwaaba places culture at the centre of the competition. Participants are encouraged to explore Ghana’s diverse traditions—from storytelling and indigenous fashion to music, dance, and the country’s historic landmarks.

The aim is to produce ambassadors who can confidently introduce Ghana’s heritage to the world.

That mission has resonated with audiences in recent years. Previous seasons have highlighted the country’s cultural wealth while giving young women the opportunity to grow as leaders and advocates.

The stakes are high this year, too. The reigning queen from the previous season drove home in a brand-new car and received a cash prize of GH¢10,000, signalling how the pageant rewards both talent and dedication.

Beyond the competition itself, the event has become a meeting point for Ghana’s creative and tourism sectors. Supporters of the project include Dodi World, one of the country’s best-known leisure destinations, along with Bigoo Drinks and cultural advocate Mama Africa. Their involvement reflects the pageant’s growing role in promoting Ghana as a travel destination.

For visitors exploring the country, Miss Akwaaba offers a unique window into contemporary Ghanaian culture. The event captures the energy of Accra’s creative scene—where fashion, language, music, and heritage meet modern storytelling.

For locals, it’s also an opportunity to reconnect with cultural traditions and support a platform that celebrates Ghana’s identity.

As auditions open in Accra, organisers are calling on bold and culturally rooted young women to step forward.

The crown of Miss Akwaaba represents more than a title; it carries the responsibility of telling Ghana’s story to the world.

For those ready to take part—or simply witness the beginning of the journey—the stage is set.

The morning light over First Norla Street will look different on April 30. Not because the sun changes, but because the street will.

By 10 AM, that ordinary Accra thoroughfare transforms into a living gallery—walls draped in colour, doorways spilling with rhythm, and every corner holding a conversation between Ghana’s past and its future.

This is Renaissance Afrique, and it’s not merely an exhibition. It’s a gathering of creative souls, cultural custodians, and curious strangers, all moving to the same heartbeat: collaboration.

Renaissance Afrique was born from a simple but radical idea—that artists, designers, musicians, and cultural institutions too often work in isolation. Why not bring them under one roof for a single, powerful day?

The result is a fluid, 10-hour celebration where a painter from Jamestown might share a wall with a heritage foundation from Cape Coast, and a leatherworker from Bolgatanga sets up beside a digital archivist preserving Ga folktales. No booths. No rigid schedules. Just creative energy flowing from 10 AM until dusk.

What will you find? Live canvas painting that evolves as the crowd watches. Drum circles that form spontaneously and dissolve into spoken word. A corner where grandmothers demonstrate traditional batik next to teenagers projecting Afrofuturist animations.

Food vendors serve jollof and fresh coconut while a historian leads an impromptu walking talk about the symbols hidden in kente cloth. The atmosphere is unhurried but electric—the kind of day where you arrive for an hour and stay until the lights come on.

For international visitors, Renaissance Afrique offers something rare: a chance to see Ghanaian culture not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing, remixing force.

You won’t just observe traditions; you’ll watch them being reimagined in real time. For Ghanaians, it’s a homecoming to possibility—a reminder that creativity isn’t a side hustle but a inheritance.

Mark April 30. Come to First Norla Street. Bring your curiosity, leave your schedule behind, and let Accra show you what renaissance really means.