The Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce Presents
6th Annual
Virginia Black Expo
A high-energy marketplace featuring Black-owned businesses, food trucks, product demos, community conversations, culture, commerce, wellness experiences, entertainment, and the Bike & Car Show.
Free to the public. Registration required.
Plan Your Expo Weekend
Explore What’s Happening
at the Virginia Black Expo
Experience a full weekend of business, culture, food, entertainment, wellness, community, and connection in Richmond.
01
Friday Night Experience
Black Expo
Kickoff Party
Kick off Expo weekend on Friday, August 21 with networking, great food, music, entertainment, and community. Featuring music by DJ Akademiks from WPGC 95.5.
Get Kickoff Party Tickets →
02
Main Expo Experience
Free Shopping,
Food Trucks &
Entertainment
Register free to attend the Virginia Black Expo and enjoy Black-owned businesses, food trucks, live entertainment, community experiences, product demonstrations, and culture all in one place.
Register Free to Attend →
03
Outdoor Activation
Bike &
Car Show
Experience custom cars, motorcycles, music, awards, vendors, crowd energy, and culture-forward moments during one of the Expo’s signature outdoor activations.
View Bike & Car Show →
04
Wellness Activation
Health &
Wellness
Explore fitness, wellness resources, self-care, recovery, mental health, prevention, and community connection in a curated wellness experience powered by The District Athletic Club.
View Health & Wellness →Special Guests & Appearances
Who’s Taking the Stage
Meet the media personalities, entrepreneurs, elected leaders, entertainers, and changemakers taking part in the 6th Annual Virginia Black Expo.
Featured Host
Free Marie
Media Personality • Host • Moderator
Fireside Chat
Pinky Cole
Entrepreneur • Founder • Author
Featured Speaker
Chuck “Jigsaw”
Creekmur
Co-Founder • AllHipHop.com • Media Entrepreneur
Featured Speaker
Angelia Williams Graves
Virginia State Senator
Featured DJ
DJ Akademiks
WPGC 95.5 • Music & Entertainment
Featured Guest
Lamman Rucker
Actor • Educator • Community Advocate
Featured Guest
David Banner
Artist • Entrepreneur • Activist
Special Guest
Ghazala Hashmi
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Special Guest
Derrick Wood
Mayor • Town of Dumfries
More Announcements Ahead
More Guests Are Joining Us
Additional speakers, entertainers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and special guests will be announced as Expo weekend approaches.Expo Weekend Accommodations
Book Your
Hotel Stay
Traveling to Richmond for the 6th Annual Virginia Black Expo? Reserve your hotel room through the official Expo room block and stay close to the weekend’s activities.
Expo Date
August 22, 2026
Destination
Richmond, Virginia
Availability
Limited Room Block
Room availability and the group rate are limited. Guests are encouraged to reserve early.
Reserve Your Hotel Room →
Stay for Expo Weekend
Make Richmond
Your Home Base
Reserve through the official Expo booking link.
About the Expo
Where Black business,
culture, and community connect.
The Virginia Black Expo is the premier showcase of Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and cultural innovators across the Commonwealth. Now in its 6th year, this signature event brings together creators, professionals, families, corporate partners, and supporters for a high-energy experience centered on connection, commerce, and celebration.
More than a marketplace, the Expo is a space where visibility turns into opportunity. Attendees come to shop with Black-owned brands, discover new products and services, make meaningful connections, and experience the energy of a community committed to growth and excellence.
This year’s Expo experience will also include product demos, a featured Black Table Talk conversation, a culturally delicious Food Truck Festival, the crowd-pulling Bike & Car Show activation, and a Friday Welcome Party to openthe weekend with connection and community.
Exhibitors, vendors, and brand experiences
Expected attendees from across Virginia and beyond
Experience Friday Welcome party and Saturday Expo
- Black-owned business marketplace and shopping experience
- Product demos and live brand activations
- Black Table Talk conversation and community dialogue
- Bike & Car Show activation powered by BLKThrottleCo
- Networking with entrepreneurs, leaders, and supporters
- Entertainment, Music, Food, culture, and family-friendly experiences throughout the day
- Friday August 21 Welcome Celebration to kick off the connection
Recap of the First 5 Expos
Bold growth. Real impact.
Five years of building connection, commerce, culture, and opportunity across Virginia.
When & Where
Richmond
Main Street Station
A historic downtown venue offering open space, natural light, and easy access for attendees and exhibitors. The Expo is free to the public, but registration is required.
Register Free to Attend →Date & Time
Saturday, August 22, 2026
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Entertainment Til 8:00 PM
Location
Main Street Station
1500 East Main Street
Richmond, VA
Admission
Free to the Public
Registration required.
What to Expect
A full day of
shopping, culture,
wellness, entertainment and flavor.
The 6th Annual Virginia Black Expo brings together shopping, food trucks, product demos, wellness experiences, music, entertainment, live conversations, networking, and culture-forward activations designed to connect people, elevate brands, and move opportunity across Virginia.
01
Black-Owned Marketplace
Shop products, services, retail, beauty, fashion, lifestyle brands, and community-centered experiences from Black-owned businesses across Virginia and beyond.
02
Food Truck Festival
Enjoy a curated food experience featuring food trucks, local flavors, community favorites, and vendors serving up something for everyone throughout the day.
03
Product Demos
Experience live product showcases, brand demonstrations, chef-led moments, beauty demos, wellness tools, tech walkthroughs, and interactive vendor activations.
04
Black Table Talk
A featured conversation brought to you by the Virginia African American Advisory Board, centered on business, culture, leadership, wellness, wealth-building, and community impact.
05
Bike & Car Show + Entertainment
A high-energy activation powered by BLKThrottleCo featuring bikes, cars, chrome, paint, power, music, entertainment, culture, and crowd-moving moments outside.
06
Health & Wellness
Wellness-focused resources, activations, and conversations designed to support whole-person success for families, founders, professionals, and the community.
Friday Night Welcome Party
Kick Off the Weekend
With Connection
Start the 6th Annual Virginia Black Expo weekend with a high-energy Friday Night Welcome Party featuring music, entertainment, networking, great food, and community. Join us on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM as we set the tone for a powerful Expo weekend in Richmond.
Music
DJ Akademiks from WPGC
Bringing the energy, sound, and vibe for a Friday night experience guests will remember.
Experience
Entertainment + Great Food
Enjoy music, food, networking, live moments, community connection, and a celebratory welcome atmosphere.
Time
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
A Friday night kickoff created to welcome attendees, vendors, partners, speakers, and guests arriving in Richmond for Expo weekend.
Friday Night
August 21
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Music By
DJ Akademiks from WPGC
Featured Experiences
Product demos.
Real conversations.
The Expo is designed to do more than bring people into the room. It creates moments where brands can be seen, products can be experienced, stories can be heard, and community conversations can move us forward.
01
Product Demos
Showcase your product, service, or experience live in front of Expo attendees. Product demos are designed to help vendors and brands stand out, attract traffic, answer questions, and create moments people remember.
Examples may include beauty and makeup demonstrations, chef-led tastings or cooking demos, wellness products, fashion styling, tech tools, home goods, service-based walkthroughs, fitness activations, skincare routines, and other interactive brand experiences.
Sign Up to Do a Product Demo →
02
Black Table Talk
A featured conversation brought to you by the Virginia African American Advisory Board, centered on business, culture, leadership, wellness, wealth-building, and the issues shaping Black communities across Virginia. This experience brings voices to the table for dialogue that is timely, honest, and community-centered.
The purpose of the Virginia African American Advisory Board is to advise the Governor on the development of economic, professional, cultural, educational, and governmental links between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the African American community in Virginia.
Learn More About VAAAB →
03
Bike & Car Show
Powered by BLKThrottleCo, the Bike & Car Show brings chrome, paint, power, presence, and culture to the Virginia Black Expo. This high-energy activation is designed to draw the crowd, spotlight custom builds, and create unforgettable moments for attendees.
From motorcycles and custom cars to trophy classes, crowd favorites, music, vendors, and photo moments, this activation adds a culture-forward experience that keeps people moving throughout the day.
Explore the Bike & Car Show →
04
Health & Wellness
The Expo will include Health & Wellness activities designed to support whole-person success for families, founders, professionals, and the community. This experience creates space for education, resources, movement, prevention, and personal well-being.
Attendees can expect wellness-centered activations, community resources, conversations, and experiences that connect health, entrepreneurship, leadership, and quality of life.
Explore Health & Wellness →Exhibitors & Vendors
Put your business
in the room.
Showcase your brand at the 6th Annual Virginia Black Expo and connect with shoppers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, partners, and supporters actively looking to discover and support Black-owned businesses.
Whether you sell products, provide services, serve food, operate a food truck, create experiences, or support the community, this is your opportunity to gain visibility, make real connections, and turn foot traffic into long-term customers.
Apply to Exhibit →Exhibit space is limited.
Why Exhibit
- High-traffic, high-visibility exhibit space
- Direct access to an engaged audience of attendees
- Brand exposure before, during, and after the event
- Opportunity to sell, collect leads, and build customers
- Alignment with a trusted statewide organization
Who Should Exhibit
- Product-based businesses
- Service providers
- Food Trucks, Food Vendors, and beverage brands
- Creatives, lifestyle brands, and makers
- Community and nonprofit organizations
Past exhibitors have represented food, fashion, wellness, professional services, retail, beauty, community organizations, and more from across Virginia.
Tickets
Choose Your
Expo Experience
Expo weekend begins Friday evening with the Black Expo Kickoff Party, followed by the main Virginia Black Expo, Black Table Talk, and Health & Wellness experiences on Saturday.
Friday, August 21
Black Expo Kickoff Party
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Kick off Expo weekend with music, entertainment, great food, networking, and a high-energy Friday night welcome experience in Richmond.
- Music by DJ Akademiks from WPGC
- Great food and entertainment
- Networking and community connection
- Welcome experience for Expo guests
- Friday, August 21 from 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Saturday, August 22
Virginia Black Expo
Free to the Public
Access the main Expo marketplace, product demonstrations, food trucks, community activations, entertainment, and the Bike & Car Show experience.
- Black-owned business marketplace
- Product demonstrations
- Bike & Car Show activation
- Food Truck Festival
- Community partners and resources
- Family-friendly experiences
Featured Conversation
Black Table Talk
Included With Expo Registration
A featured conversation presented by the Virginia African American Advisory Board focused on business, culture, leadership, health, wealth, and opportunity.
- Business and culture dialogue
- Leadership and community conversation
- Health, wealth, and opportunity
- Honest, community-centered discussion
- Presented with VAAAB
Wellness Experience
Health & Wellness
Expo Access Is Free
Explore wellness resources, community support, prevention, self-care, mental health, movement, and fitness experiences throughout the Expo.
- Wellness resources and activations
- Health education and prevention
- Mental health and self-care
- Community-centered support
- Fitness classes available separately
Friday night tickets and free Saturday Expo registration are now available.
Sponsors & Partners
Brands That Show Up
for Black Business
The Virginia Black Expo is powered by partners who believe in community, commerce, culture, and the economic advancement of Black-owned businesses across the Commonwealth.
Become a Sponsor →
