Black businesses featured at annual ‘Katika Festival’

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A festival in University City helped promote small, Black-owned businesses by giving them a place to sell and connect with other vendors.

The second annual Katika Festival took place at uCity Square Saturday afternoon, featuring dozen of vendors from across the area.

11 year old McKenzie Nelson, who owns Sunshine for Doris, is realizing her dream through her business.

“I’m licensed, so I’m an entrepreneur and so far we’ve made a lot of money,” she said. “Before my grandmother passed, her favorite drink was lemonade…and that really inspired me to make my own.”

She was featured front and center at the festival, a family-friendly event meant to both celebrate and promote Black businesses.

” The festival is a day of celebrating commerce, community, and culture where we bring local vendors to the lawn and allow them to showcase their wearers,” said Katika founder Jason Coles.

The all day event featured games, music, and vendors who sold everything from t-shirts to perfume and of course, lots of food.

“It is all about celebrating Black people, celebrating our culture,” said Besther Goode from Boomer’s Kitchen and Catering. She said she marked this date in her calendar as soon as it was announced because it’s important to her to show up and show out for her community.

“Our unity is so important in our business and it’s very important that us as vendors all support each other,” she said.

Part of the goal of the festival was to get everyone who comes to download the Katika app. It features all of the businesses who were there and helps customers find their favorite vendors outside of pop-up events.

“Small businesses are the backbones of most communities and so we want to help and enhance their businesses and give them an opportunity to vend in spaces they otherwise might not be able to,” said Coles

For McKenzie, events like this are the start of a long and illustrious career.

“I hope it inspires other people to drive to make their own business, no matter if its lemonade or not,” she said.