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July 8, 2024

Sunday Night Highlight – Essence Festival Celebrates 30th Anniversary in New Orleans

This weekend, the Essence Festival of Culture proudly celebrated its 30th year in New Orleans.  Essence magazine’s marquee celebration, held during the first weekend each July, is a beloved tradition that embodies the heart and soul of New Orleans, drawing visitors from all over the world. This year the event marked three decades of celebrating African American culture, music, and community.

Essence Festival is also a major economic boost for the New Orleans region.  Over 250,000 people attend the festivities, bringing an economic impact of over $300,000,000.

Musical highlights of Essence 2024 included:  Birdman, Raphael Saadiq, The Roots, Usher, Charlie Wilson, D-Nice, Tank and the Bangas, Janet Jackson, and of course, Frankie Beverly.

Programming highlights included:

  • Entergy hosted a panel discussion on the “Power of Partnership,” spotlighting efforts to drive economic impact via large-scale events
  • New Voices Entrepreneurship Hub featured an in-person New Voices’ Learning Lab for entrepreneurs
  • New Orleans Business Alliance hosted a discussion on the opportunities and the hurdles facing the Black real estate community
  • SOKO MRKT continued the mission of driving commerce for Black and Women-owned businesses ranging from clothing, accessories, home goods, art, and beauty
  • Several alumni of The Idea Village, including bEHR Health Systems, Inc., Kinkz Hair Products, KMBOOBIES, & more, showed off their goods and services on the convention floor
  • Phelps Dunbar, Culture + Capital, and JP Morgan Chase hosted a business and entrepreneurship event

You can read more about Essence Festival’s 30th anniversary in New Orleans here.

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