Fourth Annual New Haven Black Wall Street Festival Set For Saturday

NEW HAVEN, CT — Monday, Mayor Justin Elicker, New Haven Cultural Affairs Deputy Director Kim Futrell, and The Breed Entertainment Co-Founders Aaron Rogers and Rashad Johnson were joined by Black business owners, creatives, event sponsors, and other city and state leaders to promote and preview the fourth annual New Haven Black Wall Street Festival.

Elicker said that the inaugural year of Black Wall Street New Haven was in 2022. That year, 35 Black-owned businesses took part in the festival. In 2023, 150 Black-owned businesses were a part of Black Wall Street, New Haven. But last year, the numbers blew up. In 2024, more than 200 Black-owned businesses signed on and more than 10,000 people came out for the fest.

Set for Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., on the New Haven Green, the event will showcase well over 200 Black-owned businesses and organizations offering a wide variety of products, goods, and services. And expect a full lineup of live music and performances from local and regional artists, musicians, DJs and other performers, including a drill team, drum squad and jump rope team, among others.

Watch the full media event on Instagram here.

The festival takes place during National Black Business Month, which is recognized across the country during the month of August.

In its inaugural year in 2022, the Black Wall Street Festival featured over 35 Black-owned businesses and artists and took place at Temple Plaza.

In 2023, due to expanded local and regional interest and growth, the number of participating Black-owned businesses nearly quadrupled to 150 vendors and attracted thousands of attendees on the historic New Haven Green.

This year’s festival is scaling up to feature all of last year’s activities – including a family fun zone and VIP tent – as well as a series of smaller events leading up to and after the festival that will take place between Aug. 14 and 15. These events include the Economic Empowerment Summit at Southern Connecticut State University's Adanti Center and the annual Entrepreneur Party at the Canal Dock Boathouse.

The list of events, times, and locations can be found at www.bwsfestival.com.

The Black Wall Street Festival is part of the City’s larger effort to advance inclusive economic growth and to provide equitable arts programming and opportunities for all, as outlined in New Haven’s first-ever Cultural Equity Plan.

The event is organized by the New Haven Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism and The Breen Entertainment, a New Haven-based music production and entertainment company founded by Grammy-nominated producers Aaron "Y.A." Rogers and Rashad "Snacks" Johnson.