ASA Fall Ball 2026

About

The annual Fall Ball is a cultural event in which students, alumni, those interested in Africa, and supporters of the African Student Association join together to join in a night of entertainment, enlightenment, and fun. At this event, there is a fashion show segment as well as musical performances that especially highlight the different cultures within Africa. It is during this event that our Mr. and Ms. ASA are elected based on their talent by the audience and a panel of qualified judges based on their talent and answer. The proper dress attire for this event is formal wear. In addition, we will be serving cultural food during the course of performances/contests. The event is not restricted to Africans and we invite people of all races to enjoy African culture by enjoying our food, listening to our music, as well as supporting the local performers who will be showcasing their talents. In this show, we will incorporate performances and acts that are unique to African culture. These different performances and acts will embrace and showcase the different cultures in the east, west, north, and southern parts of our continent. This showcase will aim to revive African culture and show how our talents influence music and comedy all around the world. In addition, we aim to show the diversity that lies in Africa. The show entails social as well as educational components. The purpose of the Fall Ball is to educate and expose the University of Maryland community to the different aspects that define and characterize African culture. We aim to do this through musical and theatrical performances, a fashion show, and spoken word. The performances highlight the beats, instruments, and rhythm that make African music and dance so unique. The fashion show celebrates and displays the traditional attire of different African cultures and the fashion trends that are prominent amongst Africans. In addition, Fall Ball acts as the closing day of our annual Africa Week. This is a full week of African-related events leading up to the Fall Ball. The events during our Africa week are also open to all UMD students that are interested in African Culture. There are no other events of this magnitude on campus that are tailored to all African students so this event gives the African community on UMD a chance to allow their culture and academics intersect.