Curl Fest 2017 Recap

Curls, coils, locs, braids, twists, and fros. That was the lovely sight this past Saturday on July 15th at Brooklyn's Prospect Park for the 4th annual Curl Fest. I had the pleasure to attend this lovely event with friends and it was absolutely worth the trip. Brooklyn being my hometown and original stomping ground made the day even more enjoyable and nostalgic. Dubbed as the largest natural hair festival Curl Fest was launched back in 2014 by the Curly Girl Collective, a marketing group of women of color whose goal is to "create innovative experiences that harness the energy of the natural hair movement and showcase the best brands for modern woman of color". The one-day festival is a natural hair festival where woman of color (and a sprinkle of men as well) come together to enjoy good music, good food, great vibes, fashion vendors and a plethora of hair vendors who provide products for the product junkie and the natural hair novice.

Bright skies and temperature in the 80's set the mood as tents aligned the perimeters of the park providing festival goers the opportunity to purchase everything from beauty products, fashion apparel, jewelry and accessories. Lines for general admission, who hoped for a goody bag and VIP attenders, who paid for a guaranteed goody bag wrapped around the walkway leading to the entrance of the event. For those who were satisfied without a goody bag filled with full sized hair product's there was the option of simply scoring free samples along the way at different vendors and one could skip the excessively long lines and enter the event for free. The main stage featured beauty experts, two separate DJ'S, and emcees to keep the crowd engaged. EMS was even present for anyone who may have felt a little dizzy out there in the sun.

                                                                                                                                                                          Some notable vendors of the day who provided free samples were Jamaican Mango & Lime, Lotta Body, Olive Oil, ORS, Shea Moisture, and Design Essentials. One vendor, Creme of Nature, went all out giving away free samples of shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, combs, and hair scarfs. They even provided two on site hair stylist who braided and styled the tresses of any attendees willing to wait in line. The result were unique and beautiful hair designs done in 15 minutes or less and the best part, it was free!

A cute and unique style done for an attendee.

My favorite part of the whole experience was the vibe and energy of the event. With so much negative things sometimes associated with natural hair and the steady but slow growth of the movement it was simply beautiful to see hundreds of people come out and take part of such a positive event. You'd be sure to leave with a sense of pride and empowerment if you didn't come with it in the first place. Spike Lee, who made a surprised appearance, said it best while quoting late rapper Biggie Smalls "Spread Love it's the Brooklyn way." Hopefully this same love that filled Prospect Park yesterday continues to spread through the natural hair community, to each other and most importantly to ourselves. Curly Girl Collective a round of applause for pulling it all off for another year in a row, and hopefully I will see you next year!

Until Next Time-