Annual Black Entrepreneur State Fair spotlights 70 local vendors at Midtown Global Market

For seven years, the Black Entrepreneur State Fair has provided a space for vendors to showcase and sell their goods in one place for everyone to experience.

With 70 vendors, including island food favorites and local grill masters, the Black Entrepreneur State Fair is a place where small business owners can come together in one space and thrive.

"We want to serve as a platform that is a stepping stone," Destinee Shelby said.

Shelby knows firsthand the woes of being a small business owner, so she created the week-long event to give exposure to vendors and businesses that are hoping for people to discover and buy their goods.

"We are in a time right now where so many small Black businesses are very underinvested. They are underinvested when it comes to capital funds, resources, but also platform, so customers coming in. We've created a large platform to where we now anticipate 10,000 guests to come through," Shelby said.

First-time vendors like We in the Kitchen are using the platform as a way to introduce themselves to the community.

Shelby believes bringing people together will only make business strong for all.

"The secret is community. We are nothing without community. If people don't come and show up to this event to pour into these vendors and then who pour into us, we can't continue to build a platform," she said.

Vendors say the gathering helps them plant strong business roots in the community.

Everyone is welcome to visit the Black Entrepreneur State Fair at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. It goes from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. through Saturday.