From Beats to Bites: understanding the reason that black festivals and events are essential

Ever since my first time attending Essence Fest in 2017 in New Orleans, I knew festivals were going to become a big part of my life. I enjoy music, good food, and being in an area where everyone is there to have a good time, but there’s rarely a chance to do that in everyday life. Just recently, I realized why I truly yearn to be at festivals with and for Black people .

KJ Kearny, the brains behind Black Food Friday, made it crystal clear. Kearny is a food historian and community organizer and what I’ve longed for is third spaces for Black and brown people. Simply put, a third space is a communal space. It’s a place where you can socialize and more importantly, just be. Some examples of third spaces are yoga studios, restaurants, coffee shops, museums and bars. Somewhere outside of work and church to come together. And I NEEDED that without knowing what it was called. We live in a beach town and there are loads of third spaces in the area (including three yoga studio and four smoothie shops) but I always feel tolerated instead of welcome in this town. But, as Kearney mentioned in this video there aren’t many third spaces in Black areas so the opportunity to get together with people that look like me and just be are few and far between, regardless of the zip code.

But, at a festival, baby, the third space is spacing. I attend between eight and 12 festivals a year, and the majority of them are music festivals. If you’ve never been to a Black music festival, let me give you the rundown. Performers are usually scheduled with a 30 to 45-minute break between each set. This gives attendees time to check out the vendors, grab food and drinks, use the restroom and catch up with friends. 

In the time between the main acts, there’s usually a DJ mixing something like Sexxy Red and Luther Vandross that blows your mind. Then there’s the food. The vendors at an event that caters to Black people cater to Black people! The food options are vast and usually include food from the Caribbean, vegan soul food, a lot of things that are fried and BBQ. At the Black Food Truck Festival in Charleston, SC I had Gullah fries, which were fries topped with white cheese and crab that were to die for! I make a point not to eat this food at home in an attempt to be healthy, but when I get to a festival, it goes down! There are also Black vendors selling everything from Shea butter to black card games like University of Dope, Caribbean coffee, candles and small-batch spices to take home. 

Even at business and networking events you’re met with that same energy. Last year I attended Nomadness Fest, an event for travelers of color, and Invest Fest. Once you step out of the seminars there’s a soundtrack of jams in the background, great vendors to support and all the food options you didn’t even know you wanted. My mom went to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) national convention last year and the weekend closed out with a 2nd line parade to announce the 2024 location for the convention, New Orleans.

In a day’s time, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in our culture -enjoying Black-centric music, food and vibes surrounded by people that look like you, appreciate your style and paid their hard-earned money to enjoy themselves as well. There’s really no way to lose in that environment.

Now that you understand why Festivals are LIFE, cross-reference your PTO calendar and the Vibe Called Fest festival calendar and book a trip to enjoy it for yourself!

A Vibe Called Fest keeps you up-to-date with all the important information for festivals and cultural events centered around Black people. Subscribe and check out our FesTEAval Blog posts and the Next Fests list.