The Watts Cultural Fest featured hundreds of visitors on Feb. 17, including Brandi Bakewell, executive vice president of Bakewell Media.
The festival took place on the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) grounds at 10950 S. Central Avenue in South L.A. According to the organizers, the marketplace is a new year-round event designed to empower Watts and South-Central community stakeholders to preserve and celebrate their heritage.
The business and social aspect of the marketplace allowed Watts and neighboring communities to share enticing and culturally diverse foods and goods prepared by local vendors. While admission was free to the public, the offerings were not free, but affordably priced.
“This is about economic development and empowerment, so we are bringing our vendors out to the marketplace to share space,” said WLCAC Cultural Enrichment Director Tanika “Tea” Vickers. She added that as the Watts community continues to grow, the festival aims to make sure that people who are embedded in the threading of the community are a part of that growth.
Some of the highlights of the culture fest include curated art exhibits, live deejay sets, drawing and paintings workshops, delicious and diverse foods (including organic), and so much more. In addition to the cultural fest, WLCAC’s seven-acre campus offers tours and permanent exhibits that reflect the Black and Latino experience.
Mario Holten, Wells Fargo vice president of Philanthropy and Community Impact said supporting WLCAC in their community-based endeavors is imperative.
“WLCAC has done an amazing job uplifting the community and has provided an immeasurable amount of support to Watts and its residents since its inception,” noted Holden.
“By providing philanthropic support to the Watts Culture Fest, we were able to collaboratively take steps to elevate small business owners, combat a food desert, provide resources, and give the community a safe space where they can celebrate all of the brilliance that exists locally.”
Vickers is excited to bring an event that highlights the diverse cultures in Watts. “A part of our culture is our food, our music, the things we produce with our hands and are able to give back to you,” she said.
The next Watts Culture Fest event is scheduled for Saturday, March 16. For more information, visit wlcac.org/culture-fest.
