Curry(SunFestCommunityLove)Curls

Water Mother Puppet at SunFest 2012 A Celebration of World Cultures

I produce a festival in Dowtown Silver Spring, MD called SunFest and this is our 3rd Annual Year. It will be held Sunday, June 10, from 1pm-6pm. As a part of my personal mission for this event I seek to give opportunities Black Owned Business’ and Peformance Groups, and students who may be interested in learning Live Event Producing.

Last year was a great success and I am hoping this year that my reach will be able to extend even further.  So I am reaching out to those in the DMV area and beyond.  Last year one of my favorite vendors Featherlicious came all the way from Philly with some of the fiercest earrings and accessories on the East Coast.

Earrings by Featherlicious 2011 and 2012 SunFest Vendor

SunFest 2012 Call for Vendors

I am looking for

• community service organizations
• natural hair/products vendors
• eccectic jewlery and fashion vendors
• green vendors
• fun food vendor trucks.
• If you don’t fit into any specific category please don’t let that keep you from applying.  I am looking to offer a diverse, ecclectic, hip mix of vendors.

SunFest 2012 Call for Performers

In the way of performance group,s this year I am looking for some young fresh local DC talent that might be using a mix/fusion of different styles of music or are preserveing or reviving DC performance styles and also a World Fusion DJ.

I am also looking for performnace groups that perform traditional material the belonging to a specific cultural group.

SunFest is a Celebration of World Cultures that encourages cultural exchange while supporting and fostering the diversity that exists within our local and world communities. This is not only a chance for you to come a learn about the cultures of others but instead a chance for us all to engage, share, and spread the knowledge we possess.

This is a great event for exposure last year we had a turnout of over 8,000 individuals and all of our performance groups are paid.

If you are not able to participate as a vendor or performance group I ask you to please attend its a great family friendly event along with our two perfomance stages there is also a Kids Zone Area with arts and crafts and water play on the Silver Plaza.

and while I know its Chocolate City and Black folks doing big things here is more common than not (you’d be surprised), I am the first Black Employee at the organization that I work for, so doing this event means a lot to me. So if for anything come out and support me and what I am working and striving for, for our Black Community and Communities of Color.

Vehicles for Change at SunFest 2011

SunFest 2012 Call for Volunteers

I am also looking for volunteers for this event. So if you know of a young person (specifically young persons of colors) who might be interested in planning events, theatre, the arts, stage mangaement, and producing this is a great event to gain some of that experience. Montgomery County Students can get their community service hours by participating in this event.

If you are simply interested in cultural exhange, and exploring the many diverse cultures that are represented in the DMV area this is a great event for voluteering and really exploring the community performance culture here in DC.

Mama Merinda African Dance Troupe

Busking Belly Dancers

Sulata from the Fojol Bros. A Travelling Culinary Carnival

If you are interested you can visit the Festival Website SunFest.Revelsdc.Org

where you can find more info about the festival and applications available for download.

You can also email me at SunFest@Revelsdc.org

If you are in the DMV area, please share this post and pass the information along!

The NeoAfro

Curry(CommunityLove)Curls

It is hard lately to keep work and personal time separate . Due to the nature of planning a festival any outings, shopping trips etc become a hunt for products and vendors that I might have at my event.  Speaking of which thanks to Alex of  TheGoodHairBlog for posting my call to DMV area Natural Hair Bloggers and BusinessFolk  for SunFest 2011. Be sure to head over to her blog and check out the call.  I will re-post the call as well at the end of this post.

One of the spots the I love to frequent in the warmer months is Eastern Market  it is probably one of the most well known markets in DC and I wouldn’t necessarily say its the best but they do have a few vendors that I absolutely love!

It was only in my plans to by a few small food items for home I ended up making a splurge purchase, but one that wasn’t filled with too much guilt as  it was my way of  supporting my community.

With the recent Respect DC Campaign that was created as news of 4 Wal-Mart’s that are all set to open in DC in 2012.  I am reminded of how important it is to try and make an effort to not always buy from major chains simply out of convenience.

Wal-Mart is a beast in the south but when I moved to California for graduate school finding a Wal-Mart was like the ultimate hunt and when you did it was only the standard kind, most of the time poorly stocked and poorly kept up.

After 6 months or so of realizing that Wal-Mart was more on an inconvenience than a convenience,  I was forced to explore my neighborhood and find different grocery stores, and specialty shops.  I came to love the relationships I began to build with these shops. They took pride in being the best at doing a few things and not trying to conquer it all by succeeding at some but failing at most.

DC is similar to Southern Cali in that there are a lot of niche specialty shops here that have grown out of the diverse communities you find in the DC  area. I have a running list and haven’t even scratched the surface. Every time I venture into a new area or discover a new street there is a whole set of amazing unique shops that comes right along with it!

Back to Eastern Market… I love Dutch Wax Prints and had been eying a wrap skirt at one of the vendor booths on the flea market side of the market. I first I passed it by didn’t go in to look at it but as I came back by later that day I couldn’t resist. I fingered the fabric and asked the price of the skirt. The Genevieve the lovely Guyanese woman running the booth told me in her caribbean sweet  accent$65.

My thrifty side screeched a bit steep and not in the budget but I realized if that had been me on the other end and this were my business I would hope someone would see the art in my craft and support my business and realize that.  So my boyfriend helped me scrounge up enough cash and this might be one of my fav purchases all year!

Maxi WrapSkirt by Genevieve of JayBee Fashions

Cropped by Me H&M Lime Yellow Tank

Cropped Blue Jean Jacket The Gap

Jewelry F21, Miscellaneous, Old Navy

I also discovered a new Shea Butter Vendor Savannah Essentials Shea Butter Store .  I  purchased the New Eupohoria Shea Butter which is scented with Mango, Ylang Ylang, Myrhh and Orange Oils.  It smells delightful I purchased a jar for $15 which I’ve been using on my hair and skin daily. They also carry lotions, oils and, shampoo bars (this is next on my list to try) and are a MD based business.

There is also one other booth that I wish I had in my back yard.  In a Pickle is hands down the best pickle I have everrrrrr had in my life. This is one of the booths I would love to have for SunFest.

If you don’t like pickles then I can forgive you for that, I don’t why, but I get it … really I don’t.  Either way they have hot & spicy pickles, and super sour, horseradish, and ol’ bay along with olive and other antipasti items.  So if you are at Eastern Market make sure you stop by.

Be sure and check out my call to DMV area Natural Hair Bloggers & Vendors  for SunFest 2011 on the post that went up over on The Good Hair Blog  and is posted below!