October 05, 2024 will mark the 8th year of the Black Owned Wine and Spirits Festival or BOWSFest as we like to call it.
Held in our nation’s capital, BOWSFest has grown in vendor and attendee numbers each year. To date, BOWSFest has hosted 50+ vendors and sold 6500 bottles of Black Owned Wine, Spirit and Beers direct to consumers. While we are proud of the evolution behind BOWSFest, what’s most important is the spirit of the movement. Celebrating Black Owned Wine and Spirit brands extend beyond the purchase of a bottle. It is a celebration of community, cohesion, and creativity…and at its core, a celebration of Black Excellence.
In August of 2015 OfficialBlackWallStreet.com released an article featuring 14 Black Owned Wine and Spirit Brands to know. The goal was to increase consumer awareness of this niche market and to encourage overall support of the brands. The article received such an overwhelming response, that more brands were steadily added to the list overtime. Understanding the enormous growth potential of boutique wine and spirit brands in the US Spirits and Wine Market, we knew we had a job to do. At a time when unification and group economics proves critical for African-Americans, the need to bring more visibility to the innovation and ingenuity of our community became our mission. The article spurred initial thoughts around organizing a festival that would not only showcase these brands but also provide commerce opportunities for consumers and industry professionals alike.
My vision is to – increase the visibility and awareness of Black-owned Spirit, Wine, and Beer companies. Thus providing an organized platform for consumer interaction and education through sampling opportunities and tasting demos. To encourage both inter and intra-community partnerships and industry alliances To redirect the economic contributions of Afro- American communities in the US Wine & Spirits Industry
Founder CEO