Summer Travel for the Culture: 4 Black Events You Don’t Want to Miss
Summer isn’t just a season—it’s a whole mood.
And for Black folks, it’s also a chance to reconnect, celebrate, and travel with purpose.
This year, we’re not just booking trips.
We’re booking legacy experiences.
We’re choosing spaces where joy is intentional, the music is loud, the food is seasoned, and the energy is unmatched.
Whether you're ready for feathers and fetes, culinary soul care, beachside brilliance, or a D.C. turn-up with purpose—these four events are where culture shows up and shows out.
Here’s your guide to the Blackest, boldest, most unforgettable summer travel experiences of 2024:
1. Barbados Crop Over | July 30–August 5
Let’s start with the queen: Crop Over.
If you’ve seen Rihanna show up in full costume—skin glowing, feathers flying, waist wining—you already know the assignment.
Crop Over is Barbados’ premiere summer festival, blending ancestral Caribbean traditions with modern-day carnival culture. It’s vibrant, sensory, and spiritual.
Think:
Kadooment Day parades
Sunrise and sunset fetes
Soca and calypso everywhere
Local rum, street food, and dancing that never ends
It’s not just a party. It’s Black joy, Caribbean pride, and cultural preservation all in one. You don’t just go to Crop Over—you surrender to it.
Barbados will fill your spirit in a way no resort vacation can.
2. Black Week in Martha’s Vineyard | First Week of August
This isn’t your average beach trip.
Black Week on the Vineyard is an annual tradition, rooted in Black excellence, generational wealth, and coastal luxury.
Recently featured in Netflix’s Forever, the week attracts politicians, creatives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who all know that joy is political—and luxury is our birthright.
Expect:
Morning panels and think pieces
Midday brunches and beach hangs
Evening parties on yachts and rooftops
Moments of pure community, rest, and radiance
It’s elegance with rhythm. Intellectual stimulation with boat-party energy. A soft place for the culture to land, network, and thrive.
3. Broccoli City Festival | August 8–10
Three days. Music. Movement. Momentum.
Broccoli City is where the culture converges with intention.
Held in Washington, D.C., this festival has earned its rep as one of the most important Black cultural events of the year.
Why? Because it’s more than a lineup—it’s a launchpad for community.
This year, Broccoli City brings:
Live performances from the best in R&B, hip hop, and Afrobeats
Wellness activations and morning fitness flows
Community impact zones and Black-owned marketplaces
Panels and workshops that center sustainability, tech, and social justice
And food trucks you’ll be dreaming about long after it ends
It’s where Black joy, genius, and global impact meet. And where you come home with more than just photos—you come home inspired.
4. Family Reunion at Salamander Resort | August 14–17
What if your next family reunion had a wine pairing?
This one does.
The Family Reunion at Salamander Resort is a multi-day celebration of Black culinary artistry—with serious vibes. Hosted just outside Washington, D.C. at a luxury resort founded by Sheila Johnson (yes, BET cofounder), this experience brings together Black chefs, mixologists, and food lovers for something that’s part cookout, part masterclass, and part homecoming.
Think:
Chef-led dinners under the stars
Black-owned wine tastings
Panels on culinary legacy and land ownership
Morning rides on horseback (yes, the resort has stables)
Soft robes, spa treatments, and Southern hospitality
You come for the food—but you stay for the feeling. It’s a celebration of taste, tradition, and the table as a sacred place of gathering.
The Final Word
This isn’t just about flights and festivals.
It’s about freedom. Expression. And being in spaces where the energy sees you.
These events remind us that travel is more than escape—it’s reconnection.
To our roots. Our people. Our joy. Our future.
So pack your bags.
Book the thing.
And let this be the summer you travel not just to relax, but to remember.