Placing ‘community over competition’ grew Broccoli City into a can’t-miss festival

There’s something very special about being in a space you possibly can tell was created for us, by us — and after I say “us,” I mean Black communities. On July 27 and 28, the annual Broccoli City Fest showcased the ability of self-affirming space within the nation’s capital, commonly often called “Chocolate City.” Combining music, art, culture, and community to create an immersive experience for fans and artists alike, the festival left the streets of Washington, D.C., buzzing with an infectious energy.

The music festival draws tens of 1000’s today, but Broccoli City began as a streetwear brand. While hosting parties to advertise the merchandise, the label concurrently created a protected space for Black people to return together and have a good time. Quickly realizing attendees were more concerned about the events than the apparel, the team focused on hosting more community celebrations; with the assistance of local party promoters, the primary Broccoli City festival attracted roughly 5,000 attendees when it launched in 2013. Broccoli City co-founder Brandon McEachern describes that inaugural event because the “first big-ass day party.” 

“(At the time), we used a lot of the elements that we still use today, like the vendor marketplace, (which was created) because we wanted to make sure that the community was entwined,” McEachern told theGrio. “What we really wanted to do was create that community-centric event, but make it fly and popping, with artists that (transcend) that typical local band.” 

Having sold out the capital city’s Audi Field this 12 months with a crowd rumored to number over 50,000, Broccoli City Fest has equally develop into a showcase for the entertainment industry. With previous hosts equivalent to award-winning artists Jazmine Sullivan, Erykah Badu and Summer Walker, this 12 months, buzzy headliners like Megan Thee Stallion, Victoria Monét and Gunna added to the festival’s ongoing allure for attendees and artists alike. 

However, Broccoli City is greater than just a festival. Built on the pillars of impact, innovation and empowerment, even amid the brand’s catapult into the mainstream, McEachern and festival co-founders Marcus Allen, Darryl Perkins and Jermon Williams are staying true to their mission, creating progressive entertainment experiences alongside impactful spaces that commemorate culture and supply opportunities to spark meaningful change. 

“It’s really just about creating these moments yet again for us (Black communities) and getting us together,” McEachern explained, adding that authenticity, transparency, and responsiveness to feedback are the driving forces behind all of their events. 

Just because the festival and ancillary events have grown to host hundreds of thousands of attendees over the past decade, the Broccoli City brand has expanded to incorporate skilled conferences and job fairs like Broccoli Con, community service through its nonprofit, WeChipN, and other activations aimed to drive community engagement. According to Williams, who works closely with the festival’s communication team, the organic and relatable messaging of Broccoli City is a component of the organization’s magic. 

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“The strategy so far has been to allow that content to move organically and really use the entertainment side to push and elevate the impact side,” Williams told theGrio, adding, “Because there are really two sides to the organization … we recognize that, yeah, people come for the entertainment, but how can we leverage that and use it to push our mission forward?” 

Putting the audience first, Broccoli City prides itself on not only giving attendees an array of options but additionally anticipating their needs. That intentionality was evident in all facets of this 12 months’s festival, from venue changes that made it easier for all ages to access and revel in the genre-diverse lineup of performers to Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, highlighting the importance of voting to the array of multisensory experiences spread throughout Audi Field.

Other Black brands are essential partners in creating the Broccoli City vibe; along with the festival’s customary marketplace showcasing local Black-owned businesses like Dreams of Triumph, international brand activations were equally curated. For instance, a section of Black-founded hair company Shea Moisture’s booth was a mini hair salon offering touch-ups and styling for attendees along with goodie bags and water. Similarly, Hennessy, informally often called Black people’s most beloved spirit, offered seating, charging stations and item customizations for festival-goers to enjoy while sipping on cognac cocktails. And when attendees got hungry, they’d an array of local Black-owned culinary selections on-site within the festival’s “Food Village.” 

“We really were pushing for just this new experience,” McEachern said, explaining how strategic the festival’s planning was this 12 months, right down to probably the most minute details, amongst them a scented body oil dispenser in one among the ladies’s bathrooms. As a Black woman who knows the unspoken cardinal rule to never be ashy, it was not only a nice surprise but a reminder that Black women play a large hand within the success of Broccoli City. 

“Our core demographic is —and when I say that, I mean our (Black) sisters…most of our team is young, African-American, and multicultural women,” McEachern told theGrio. Williams agreed, adding, “The majority of journalists who cover (Broccoli City Fest) are Black women.”

With this in mind, the Broccoli City team considered the assorted ways the festival couldn’t only cater to its core demographic but additionally pour back into them. Leading as much as the festival, Broccoli City hosted a private dinner honoring women in music and media. The “Breakthrough Women in Music and Media” dinner celebrated a lineup of female music and media trailblazers like Kimberly Wilson and Janelle Gibbs, who “embody resilience and defy the odds at every turn.” Driven by the organization’s mission to foster community, the intimate female-led space also shined a light on the plethora of girls leading and managing the assorted elements of the social enterprise, including Broccoli City chief of staff Jacqueline L. Alston. 

This nuanced, inclusive and deeply attuned approach has allowed Broccoli City to proceed fostering and growing the community-driven space that blossomed in 2013. Whether dancing together with fellow attendees in the group or participating in the assorted activations, when walking through Audi Field there was undoubtedly an energy radiating throughout the weekend. As attendee Jamesha Rosado noted, “there was definitely a sense of community and likelihood” of connecting with like-minded people at Broccoli City; whether through mutual or skilled connections or a easy compliment, the environment was welcoming and friendly.