3rd annual festival celebrates Black joy in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — Joy is something we can all use a bit more of right now. An event celebrating just that has returned to Indy this weekend.

BLACK: A Festival of Joy took place at Riverside Park Saturday to showcase black culture and community.

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“We created a day that’s by us and it’s also for us,” said festival committee member and GANGANG Associate Kwesi Rogers.

This is the third year the free festival brought out thousands of people.

It showcased live music from Black artists, food, art and community.

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“Finding out that there are more and more events catered to us feels great, feels like I’m at home. It feels like we've started to expand and carry ourselves the same way,” said Alyse Robinson, who brought her kids to the festival for the first time.

The event also featured family fun zones along with Black-owned food trucks and vendors.

“As a tattoo artist, I want to be able to provide my services to people that look like me,” said Vendor Sydney Graves, the owner of Stung by Staxx. “That was a very important thing that I drew a boundary on when I started my apprenticeship, so to be able to be here and tell me, 'Yeah, you can do this.'”

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Indianapolis Black-led including GANGGANG organizations put on the event to share positivity in the community.

"We wanted to have a special day just to celebrate one another and bring people together for a positive experience,” said Rogers.

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"All the problems at the end of the day are going to be there and we can’t change everything, but we can enjoy each other,” added Wildstyle Paschall, another festival committee member.

Organizers said the reason behind BLACK: A Festival of Joy is to leave behind what divides us and instead focus on what brings us together.

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“We need that for our health. We need that for our wellness. We need that to connect with each other. If anything, take time to center Black joy,” Paschall said.