Trap music and socially conscious, sustainable living blend together in D.C.'s very own music festival.
Broccoli City announced an impressive lineup for its fourth annual event: Atlanta rapper Future will share the stage with L.A. soul singer Jhené Aiko, along with established talents The Internet, Anderson .Paak, Sango and BJ the Chicago Kid.
The festival will be held April 30, and will feature a live art installation from local collective No Kings DC, an organic juice bar and other environmentally-minded vendors. The venue, Gateway D.C. (2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE), is a short walk from the Congress Heights Metro station on the Green Line.
Broccoli City started as an organic T-shirt company, but has since branched out into promoting a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle in urban communities. While in South Central, Los Angeles, co-founder Brandon McEachern noticed how common fast-food chains were while grocery stores were sorely lacking.
Together with his friend Marcus Allen, they started doing block parties in L.A. in 2010. The first festival in D.C. started on Earth Day in 2013 with a goal similar to their West Coast block parties: use music to bring people together while promoting an accessible, environmentally sustainable lifestyle.
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"We needed to leverage our platform to build healthier communities of color," McEachern told Ebony.com last year.
Previous acts include Erykah Badu as DJ Loretta Brown and Jaden and Willow Smith. And since it is a festival in D.C., local artists like Goldlink, Kali Uchis and Reesa Renee have rocked the stage too.
Festivalgoers were given the opportunity to earn a ticket to the event by volunteering with the festival's "Power of One" campaign. That opportunity is now closed, and tickets are completely sold out.
So while you're bouncing along to Future and singing with Jhené, don't forget the message.
As McEachern also told Ebony.com, "When it's all said and done, we want attendees to leave BC Fest feeling empowered to make a positive impact within their own lives and community."
Get to know the festival more through our Social Media Editor Brittany Johnson, who will also be Broccoli City’s official Social Reporter on the day of the festival.
