The African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster will offer a weekend exposition this month promoting local Black businesses.
The event, featuring more than 25 vendors selling food, art and other goods, will be at Clipper Stadium from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18. Besides the vendor booths, attendees can expect raffles, giveaways and live music.
“We are welcoming all entrepreneurs from all small and large businesses,” said Vincent Derek Smith, the alliance’s president. “It will be a [weekend] of art, dancing, great food, music, culture and overall Black Excellence.”
The alliance is still accepting vendors and encourages anyone to attend regardless of “race, economic background, sexual orientation, age or disability.”
Working to grow into something bigger
Although only in its first year as the African American Cultural Alliance, Smith says the organization has been functioning for almost seven years, primarily focused on producing the Annual Day Parade & Festival.
During the Covid-19 shutdown, he started working to create a more permanent group with a more all-encompassing name.
While the alliance isn’t a formal nonprofit yet, Smith said it is working with funders to become one, hopefully by January.
Smith said that the ultimate goal of the alliance, and exposition events, is to gather funds to eventually return to Black-owned businesses in the form of grants.
“We’re trying to create economic support for the community,” said Smith. “AACA Lancaster envisions a community of friendly interdependent relationships with diverse cultural, economic and educational opportunities to create an unparalleled quality of life.”
For more information about the Black business event or the other events of the weekend, visit the African American Cultural Alliance of Lancaster’s Facebook page, email aacalancaster@gmail.comor call 215-909-1569.
Black Business Expo
Vendors
T-shirts & Clothing African Appar3l Blaq Needle Apparel Covered Cookies Get Wasted with Scarlet Hope Kenndance, LLC Pluto Mas Susu Boutique Tirose Creations Virgo Enterprise 700 Night Youth Vendors Artists |
Specialty Beyond Threads Celebrity Booth Cjojo the Tutor Crafting by Kay, LLC D Foley Art Dreas Corner Endless Beauty Paparazzi Handmadeporium Just Loving My Mirror Kinfolk Boutique Noah’s Heart Pet Store Onishi-D-Lite Uniform Express Traveling Through Life 7th Aura Food |
Health & Beauty A Touch From Heav’n Bedroom Kandi Color Street Couture Health Epoxy Perfection Hot Hands by Him Jankail Sherri J30 Health Luneria Cosmetics N’ve Body & Care Sonja Secrets The Naci Room Information/Education |
Giveaways and Raffles
Saturday, Oct. 17
Free Fulton Bank reusable tote bag to the first 100 adults
Free Keisha Finnie artwork raffle
Sunday, Oct. 18
Free African American Cultural Alliance T-shirt to the first 50 adults
Free Bryan Hickman artwork raffle
Events
Friday, Oct. 16 Comedy Show: Earl David Reed When: 6 p.m. Where: Clipper Stadium Tickets are $10 All proceeds go directly to the TCP Network and Spice of Life Foundation |
Saturday, Oct. 17 Outdoor Movie at the Ballpark: Black Panther When: 5 p.m. Where: Clipper Stadium Free admission Tickets required per CDC guidelines |
Sunday, Oct. 18 A Concrete Rose presents: Roses Now When: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Tellus360 Live music performances, Wine tastings, food and more, by A Concrete Rose, Pennsylvania’s first Black-owned winery Tickets are $150 |
The exposition, and other 2020 Alliance events, are sponsored by
- Fulton Bank
- Lancaster County Democrats
- The Janet Diaz Campaign
- The Scott Martin Campaign
- Ismail Smith Wade-El
- Lancaster Toyota
- Cam Automotive, LLC.