{"id":471783,"date":"2026-10-20T17:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T17:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/471783\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T17:28:14","slug":"black-outside-fest-celebrates-black-businesses-and-culture-in-east-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/471783\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Outside Fest celebrates Black businesses and culture in East Austin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get ready for a celebration of Black creativity, culture and community! Black Outside Fes<\/a>t is taking over The Millennium this Saturday, bringing a day of shopping, skating, food, films and family-friendly fun to East Austin!<\/p>\n

And the best part? Admission is free!<\/p>\n

Ericka Barnes, Founder and CEO of Black Makers Market, and Kafele Wimbley, Director of Operations & Data Strategy, joined We Are Austin to share what makes this celebration special and how they’re preserving the history of Black-owned businesses in Austin.<\/p>\n

\"Ericka<\/p>\n

Ericka Barnes, Founder and CEO of Black Makers Market, and Kafele Wimbley, Director of Operations & Data Strategy, joined We Are Austin to share what makes this celebration special and how they’re preserving the history of Black-owned businesses in Austin.<\/p>\n

Watch the full video above to learn more about Black Outside Fest!<\/p>\n

Celebrating the history of Black East Austin<\/p>\n

Black Outside Fest <\/a>is more than a festival. It’s a celebration of the businesses, culture and community that have helped shape East Austin.<\/p>\n

“It is a heritage festival that we’re doing on the East Side to celebrate the history and legacy of Black businesses and culture and community in Austin,” Ericka shared.<\/p>\n

\"Ericka<\/p>\n

Ericka Barnes, Founder and CEO of Black Makers Market, and Kafele Wimbley, Director of Operations & Data Strategy, joined We Are Austin to share what makes this celebration special and how they’re preserving the history of Black-owned businesses in Austin.<\/p>\n

The event will feature a special Heritage Museum, showcasing historical photographs and biographical information about business owners from historically Black East Austin.<\/p>\n

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the stories of entrepreneurs who helped build the community and discover how the neighborhood has changed over time.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The event will feature a special Heritage Museum, showcasing historical photographs and biographical information about business owners from historically Black East Austin.<\/p>\n

The festival will also feature films from local Black documentarians, highlighting the resilience of longtime community members and the stories behind their businesses.<\/p>\n

Shop local at the Black Makers Market<\/p>\n

Looking for unique gifts while supporting local entrepreneurs?<\/p>\n

The festival will feature a variety of Black-owned businesses offering everything from bath and body products and skincare to seasonings, lemonade and handmade goods.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The festival will feature a variety of Black-owned businesses offering everything from bath and body products and skincare to seasonings, lemonade and handmade goods.<\/p>\n

Visitors can also enjoy food from local favorites, including Distant Relatives and Wayne’s Caribbean Kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Black Outside Fest is more than a festival. It’s a celebration of the businesses, culture and community that have helped shape East Austin.<\/p>\n

Kafele emphasized the importance of shopping directly from small business owners and building meaningful connections with the people behind the products.<\/p>\n

“It’s just important that we keep these intimate relationships with the people that we shop for,” Kafele shared.<\/p>\n

He also explained how meeting vendors and learning about the time and effort behind their handmade products has given him an even greater appreciation for local entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Supporting local makers means recognizing the creativity, dedication and hard work that go into every item.<\/p>\n

Free skating, bowling, films and more!<\/p>\n

There’s something for the whole family at Black Outside Fest!<\/p>\n

Guests can enjoy free skating with an RSVP, along with bowling, film screenings and other affordable activities throughout the venue.<\/p>\n

The Black Makers Market merchandise shop will also feature T-shirts and additional historical information about the community.<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/p>\n

Visitors can also enjoy food from local favorites, including Distant Relatives and Wayne’s Caribbean Kitchen.<\/p>\n

Whether you’re shopping, learning about Austin’s history or spending time with family, the festival offers plenty of ways to connect and celebrate.<\/p>\n

Supporting Black entrepreneurs all year long<\/p>\n

Black Makers Market isn’t just a pop-up event. It’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Black-owned businesses grow and succeed.<\/p>\n

Beyond its markets and festivals, the organization provides educational resources, business development content and free or low-cost workshops for entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

“We provide digital resources, free and low-cost workshops for Black business owners to grow their business,” Ericka explained.<\/p>\n

She shared that many entrepreneurs are balancing full-time jobs while working to build their own businesses. Through education and community support, Black Makers Market helps them develop the tools to grow.<\/p>\n

For Ericka, an Austin native, the mission is also deeply personal.<\/p>\n

“I enjoy showing my children what it can look like to be your full self in this beautiful city,” she shared.<\/p>\n

It’s a message of empowerment, encouraging the next generation to embrace their creativity, pursue their passions and build successful futures in their hometown.<\/p>\n

Make plans for Black Outside Fest<\/p>\n

What: Black Outside Fest<\/p>\n

When: Saturday, October 24, 2026<\/p>\n

Where: The Millennium, East Austin<\/p>\n

Admission: Free with RSVP<\/p>\n

Activities: Black Makers Market, free skating with RSVP, bowling, films, food vendors and the Heritage Museum<\/p>\n

Ready to celebrate Black creativity, support local businesses and discover more about East Austin’s history?<\/p>\n

Visit BlackMakersMarket.org <\/a>to RSVP for free tickets and BlackOutsideAustin.com<\/a> for festival details, participating vendors and activities.<\/p>\n

You can also follow Black Makers Market on Instagram for updates.<\/p>\n

\"Visit<\/p>\n

Visit BlackMakersMarket.org to RSVP for free tickets and BlackOutsideAustin.com for festival details, participating vendors and activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Get ready for a celebration of Black creativity, culture and community! Black Outside Fest is taking over The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":471784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-471783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/471784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}