2024 Dates Coming Soon!
This free, 4-day festival happening over Memorial Day weekend celebrates the life and progress of Black entrepreneurs and business owners here in Asheville. Enjoy a block party-style weekend of music, live performances, games, food trucks, local vendors, as well as learning, employment, and partnership opportunities. The fun takes place on Depot St in Asheville’s River Arts District.
The festivities will serve to highlight the advancement of black people in Asheville, as well as connect the community.
Along with music and food, see and buy from a diverse assortment of vendors selling all kinds of goodies including jewelry, crafts, skin care, child games, clothes, books, soaps, decorations, furniture, and more.
Past GRINDFest Event Schedule
Friday
- 12 PM Entrepreneurs Lunch w/ Brian Hamilton
- 8 PM Poetry Slam
Saturday (9 AM-9 PM)
- Marketplace opens
- Opportunity Tent featuring incentives, career development programs, grants, scholarships, and funding resources for businesses
- Storytime with the elders
- Games
- DJ Battle
- Dance Competition
- Food Trucks, including Slutty Vegan (a Black, woman-owned vegan food truck recently featured in Essence Magazine)
- Curated Beer Garden by Highland Brewing
- 12 PM Roots Reveal
- 6 PM Drag Show on the Greenway
Sunday (10 AM-5 PM)
- Gospel Explosion
Monday (10 AM-6 PM)
- Tailgate
- 12 PM Veterans Recognition
- Greater Asheville Cookoff (wings, chili, and BBQ categories)
To learn more, go to their website.
Black Wall Street AVL
Black Wall Street AVL is a Black business incubator with a mission to help people turn their ideas into reality and to build a supportive community for BIPOC business owners. They provide… read more
Black Wall Street AVL is a Black business incubator with a mission to help people turn their ideas into reality and to build a supportive community for BIPOC business owners. They provide opportunities for professional development through programs, events, mentoring, and coaching with support from their partners.
GRIND Coffee
Located in the River Arts District, Grind AVL offers a plush, sophisticated place for good coffee, co-working, community gatherings, and hanging out. Enjoy local coffee and a wide variety of… read more
Located in the River Arts District, Grind AVL offers a plush, sophisticated place for good coffee, co-working, community gatherings, and hanging out. Enjoy local coffee and a wide variety of donuts, pastries, ready-made sandwiches, and hot-press paninis. The creation of entrepreneur and nonprofit leader J Hackett and chef and Black business community leader Gene Ettison, Grind AVL is the first…
