Caribbean-rooted founders bring CURLFEST back to New York celebrating Black beauty and entrepreneurship

CURLFEST, the natural beauty and Black culture festival founded by three Caribbean women, will return to Randall’s Island on July 25, bringing together beauty brands, entrepreneurs, performers and thousands of attendees for its 2026 edition.

The festival was created by Curly Girl Collective, a company founded by Charisse Higgins, Melody Henderson and Simone Mair, whose Caribbean backgrounds have influenced the event’s focus on identity, culture and community.

Higgins, the company’s CEO and a former AOL public relations executive, has Antiguan roots. Henderson, a creative director and former executive at BBDO, Ogilvy and Publicis, has Barbadian roots, while Mair, who leads CURLFEST’s operations, has Jamaican roots.

The founders launched CURLFEST as a small gathering of about 1,000 people and have since grown it into a major celebration of natural hair and Black beauty, attracting attendees from across the United States, the Caribbean and other parts of the world.

“CURLFEST was born to be a platform for the beauty that has always existed in our community, to honor the glory of textured crowns, the richness of our skin, and the boundless joy of our culture,” Higgins said.

For many in the Caribbean diaspora, hair has long represented more than personal style. Hairstyles have served as expressions of cultural identity, creativity and history across countries including Jamaica, Barbados, and Antigua and Barbuda.

CURLFEST aims to highlight those traditions while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and emerging businesses.

The 2026 festival will feature Beauty Row, where attendees can explore products from established and emerging beauty brands, as well as the Empowerment Stage, which will host discussions focused on entrepreneurship, wellness, career development and financial empowerment.

The event will also include live entertainment from Caribbean DJ Young Chow, surprise performances and appearances by Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter; entrepreneur Courtney Adeleye; and actor and model Broderick Hunter.

Entrepreneurship will remain a major focus through the Vendor Marketplace and Small Beauty Village, which will showcase independent businesses in beauty, fashion, wellness and lifestyle industries.

Organizers said the festival’s Eats n’ Treats section will feature food and beverage vendors representing Caribbean, African and other cultural influences, reflecting the diversity of New York and the wider diaspora.

CURLFEST will also expand programming aimed at young attendees, connecting them with Black-owned beauty founders, wellness professionals, financial educators and mentors.

Ahead of the festival, Curly Girl Collective is launching Road to CURLFEST, a series of virtual and in-person events designed to build engagement with the festival community.

The festival has remained independently owned and operated by Curly Girl Collective, with organizers saying that independence has allowed the founders to maintain control over its cultural mission.

Sponsors for CURLFEST 2026 include WBLS, The Doux, Miss Jessie’s, Donna’s Recipe, Mielle Organics, SheaMoisture, Carol’s Daughter, DevaCurl, Black Girl Vitamins, D Hair Boutique, En Love Beauty, Watch and Sea Beauty, and Uber Soca Cruise.

CURLFEST 2026 will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Randall’s Island in New York City.