June 3, 2026
The annual festival returned this past weekend, celebrating music, entrepreneurship, culture, and community.
Over 80,000 people from around the country gathered in the City of Brotherly Love for the annual Roots Picnic, one of the nation’s premier celebrations of Black music, culture, and entrepreneurship.
Held for the first time at Philadelphia’s historic Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, the two-day festival featured more than 20 performances and a lineup that spanned generations of hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul from Erykah Badu to Brandy to Kehlani. Shawn “JAŸ-Z” Carter headlined Saturday night’s festivities alongside The Roots, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his debut album “Reasonable Doubt”.
During his set, the rap icon brought out a slew of Philly-born artists, including Meek Mill, Jazmine Sullivan, Bilal, and State Property’s very own, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk, and Young Gunz.
In addition to being the most talked-about moment of the festival, the performance served as a reminder of the Roots Picnic’s evolution from a hometown gathering founded by the Grammy Award-winning group, The Roots, into a nationally recognized cultural engine that generates economic opportunities for Philadelphia creatives, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Among them was a prominent Philadelphia visual artist and entrepreneur who goes by the name Kellso and @TheArtBully on Instagram. He spent the weekend creating a live mural of his hometown and selling his merch.
“I’m working on this nice little dope piece inspired by the city I love, the city that I’m from, the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “It’s a lot of jazz, hip-hop vibes in this painting. I’m just trying to bring some dopeness and creativity along with the energy that’s here today.”
Kellso, who was attending his fourth Roots Picnic, said the visibility the festival provides for local Black entrepreneurs is invaluable.
“It’s very important…especially when the youth can see that, they get to see that there’s more possibilities,” he said. “Just seeing people that look like you in these spaces doing dope things brings inspiration. One of the highest human acts is to inspire.”
The entrepreneurial spirit was evident throughout the festival grounds. Tanisha Rinehard, co-founder of Philly Girls Jump, an organization that inspires fitness, fun, and community through jumping double dutch, said she returned to Roots Picnic for the third year to continue encouraging festival-goers to get active.
“Roots Picnic is for the culture. And I always say that double-dutch is intertwined with our cultural fabric. It means everything for us to be here today. We had so much fun in the ropes because the ropes are for everybody. It’s intergenerational fun.”
Philadelphia restaurateur Chef Kurt Evans, owner of Black Dragon in West Philadelphia, partnered with McDonald’s for its Chef’s Remix activation.
“I’m remixing the McDonald’s McCrispy Strip,” Evans told BE. “I put my spin on it from our restaurant, Black Dragon, where we do soul Chinese food.”
Evans added that The Roots Picnic is more than just a music festival—it’s a hub for Black culture, community, and commerce.
“The Roots represent Black ownership,” he said. “They do a lot of work investing in young creatives, entrepreneurs, and bringing everybody together in the city of Philadelphia. That’s very important.”
Community impact was also front and center through organizations like Barbershop Books, a nonprofit that has partnered with more than 200 barbershops nationwide to provide more than 23,000 Black boys with access to children’s books each month. Founder Alvin Irby partnered with Emerson Collective to provide free haircuts and hair braiding services while raising awareness about literacy initiatives serving Black boys.
“We create child-friendly reading spaces in Black barbershops across the country,” Irby said. “Here in Philadelphia, we have over 40 barbershop partners all with a colorful, kid-sized bookshelf with books recommended by Black boys.”
As music legends, entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders gathered in Philly, the Roots Picnic reinforced what its founders have championed for years: Black culture is not only worthy of celebration—it is a powerful catalyst for opportunity that continues to shape the future of Philadelphia and beyond.
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