The Tea and Hat Show.

To celebrate Black History Month in February, the city of Roswell is hosting the 11th annual Roswell Roots Festival, the largest Black History celebration in the state of Georgia. A wide variety of art exhibits, concerts, lectures and cultural events will be held throughout the month. For a complete listing of events, go to www.roswellroots.com. Here are some highlights from the 2012 Roswell Roots Festival.

“From Dawn to Dusk”

Feb. 4, 3 p.m. Bulloch Hall, 180 Bulloch Ave., Roswell. Free. Information: 770-992-1731.
“From Dawn to Dusk” is a fictitious story inspired by the life of Celia Mable, a slave buried in the Mable House cemetery. It is told by storyteller Josie S. Bailey.

The McIntosh County Shouters in concert

Feb. 9, 8 p.m. Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. Tickets: $30 (general admission). Call 770-594-6232.
Musician, artist and author Art Rosenbaum will introduce the Shouters from McIntosh County, Ga., who will perform traditional call-and-response songs and dances, which have plantation origins and are historically important as examples of communication and expressions of faith. These preservers of this unique tradition have performed at the Kennedy Center and Library of Congress.

10th annual Tea & Hat Show (pictured)

Feb. 11, 1 – 5 p.m. Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road, Roswell. Tickets: $20. Call 770-641-3978.
Smith Plantation will once again host the 2012 Tea and Hat Show welcoming the Wilbourn Sisters and globetrotting diva Vernell Washington, whose amazing collection of hats and accessories will be available for viewing and to purchase. The admission price includes a tour of the Smith Plantation.

“Slammin’ in the Suburbs” Roswell Poetry Slam

Feb. 16, 7 p.m. The Teaching Museum, 793 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell. Free. Information: 770-641-3705.
During Roswell’s eighth annual poetry slam, poets perform their works and are judged by members of the audience on content and performance. Cash prizes for the winners. Hosted by award-winning spoken word artist Ayodele Heath.

Gullah Culture & Cooking with Sallie Ann Robinson

Feb. 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Drive, Roswell. Free. Information: 770-640-3855.
Author and cultural historian Sallie Ann Robinson will share good stories and good food in the kitchen at Barrington Hall. Her tales of growing up in the Gullah culture on Daufuskie Island, S.C. are a glimpse into a vanishing way of life.