The Black-owned vendor pageant Black on the Block is increasing nationwide by way of a partnership with Stay Nation City. Based by sisters Lanie and Char Edwards in Los Angeles, the pageant market celebrates tradition and neighborhood throughout seven main cities.
“The partnership with Stay Nation City is a collective win for our whole neighborhood—distributors, attendees, and Black on the Block alike,” mentioned Lanie and Char Edwards. “Collectively, we’re harnessing Stay Nation City’s assets and experience to broaden into new markets, creating areas the place small Black-owned companies can thrive and the place attendees can constantly rejoice Black pleasure whereas purchasing with native entrepreneurs and circulating the Black greenback. This collaboration is about greater than rising occasions—it’s about fostering a stronger, extra unified neighborhood that amplifies voices, showcases skills, and builds lasting connections.”
Created in June 2021, Black on the Block has drawn superstar customers like Probability the Rapper and KeKe Palmer, with performances by Sevyn Streeter and DVSN. The pageant options greater than 100 Black-owned companies alongside dance battles, gaming stations and performances.
The Edwards sisters constructed the pageant on neighborhood, enterprise and celebration, creating an area for Black enterprise homeowners to thrive and showcase tradition past mainstream stereotypes.
“A part of the ethos of Stay Nation City has all the time been figuring out and empowering Black founders and their manufacturers, as evidenced by our many partnerships with manufacturers like Broccoli Metropolis Competition, ONE Music Fest, and others,” mentioned Shawn Gee, president of Stay Nation City. “Lanie and Char have constructed an outstanding function pushed model that holds a novel place within the dwell occasion ecosystem.” They’ve been ready to make use of dwell occasions to construct true financial alternative for therefore many small companies, whereas on the similar time offering a enjoyable and uplifting atmosphere for his or her neighborhood. Our aim is to pour into them and permit the world to profit from their imaginative and prescient.”
The tour begins March 23, 2025, at Globe Life Subject in Arlington, Texas, with stops in Atlanta, Houston and Detroit. It returns to Los Angeles for a Juneteenth celebration.
2025 Markets:
Arlington, Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
Houston, Texas
Los Angeles (Juneteenth Competition)
Detroit, Michigan
Washington, D.C.
Charlotte, North Carolina
