The Saturday sun beat down on Cre Claytor as she stood at a booth along 20th Avenue in the Central District. She offered up samples of cannabis-infused popcorn and chatted about the honey she sells, produced by bees in her backyard. Nearby, a man sketched faces on canvas with decisive pen strokes. A vendor selling body-shaped candles exclaimed again and again how much she loves markets like this.
As shoppers perused the offerings up and down the street, Claytor said Books, Bites, n’ Beats, a block party/festival, “feels like home.” To her, the new festival celebrating Black culture, which took place July 29 and 30, represents a change in the opportunities available to vendors of color who sell at local craft markets.
“This summer has been one like none other in terms of opportunities for folks like us,” Claytor said. “It’s been tremendous, almost overwhelming.”
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