Empowered Entrepreneurship: EightDown Festival Celebrates Black Business and Culture

The EightDown Festival is taking over Flanner House in Indianapolis this August, celebrating Black business and culture with a renewed sense of purpose.

This marks the ninth year that entrepreneurs have come together to showcase their products, share their stories, and connect with customers. The festival, formerly known as the Black Owned Business Block Party, has evolved into something bigger.

“150 Black-owned businesses will be taking over every square inch of Flanner House,” said longtime organizer Dominic Dorsey. “But we’re also going to be offering trophies. We’re going to be awarding some champions within the community. We’re going to be highlighting more of those cultural aspects.”

Dorsey explained that the name change is a response to the growing number of block parties in the area, making it essential to rebrand and emphasize the festival's unique focus on unity and excellence.

“So ‘Eight’, obviously, for the month of August. ‘Down’ being a euphemism for unity,” he said. “So this is an opportunity for us to celebrate unity and excellence during the month of August. Still highlighting those Black-owned businesses, but also all of the things that we do exceptionally well in art, culture, dance, music across the board.”

Dorsey promises that the festival will be "turned up to 11!" – bigger and better than ever before. While minority entrepreneurs are at the heart of the event, Dorsey encourages people of all cultures to attend and celebrate their unique cultural heritage.

“This is for anybody who appreciates the culture,” he said. “This is a place for you to come and feel your most unapologetically authentic self. That’s what we want to celebrate. That’s what we want to uplift. And we want everybody to come out and experience that.”

The EightDown Festival takes place on Saturday, August 2nd from 1-7pm at Flanner House (2424 Dr. MLK Jr. Street). Admission is free, and Dorsey hopes attendees will come prepared to spend money with the local businesses.

“The idea is that you spend as little as you can to get there, so you can spend as much as you can with these black owned businesses.”