New Orleans’ vibrant culture will be center stage in a few days when the ESSENCE Festival takes over the city.
As several local businesses are gearing up to be vendors at this year’s fest, others are calling ESSENCE out for getting the boot.
The owners of Waves Apparel, Percy Crockett and Kerry Reddick, said, it’s a blessing to go from attending ESSENCE and the festivities to being a part of it.
Known for its bold designs and commitment to cultural expression, Waves apparel is joining the ESSENCE vendor lineup for the first time.
“Honestly, we didn’t know. It was a 50-50 chance, and we got the call, so we had to expedite everything,” Reddick said.
After getting the call, the pair designed a booth and ordered extra inventory in just a matter of days, preparing to set up shop in the festival’s marketplace during the four-day celebration.
“You got to go a little big for ESSENCE, right. When you think of Essence, it’s the mecca of all. It’s the fest that you want to be a part of,” Crockett said.
This year, not everyone will take part in the event including some business that were apart of the festival for years.
Last week, Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken and Waffles blasted ESSENCE for what they described as slashing an 11-year partnership.
“It was a gut punch, and it was disappointing. It is a huge impact economically for us and other vendors,” said the company’s spokesperson, Earl Jordan Mackie.
In the post, the company wrote, “We are not bitter. We are proud. Proud of the legacy we’ve built, the people we’ve served, and the culture we represent. This isn’t about competition, it’s about preservation. This is more than a missed opportunity. It’s a reminder that when you remove the essence of New Orleans from ESSENCE, something feels off.”
According to the company, they were not not given an explanation for the reason of not being selected this year.
“Over the past, we would say, five years, we’ve seen less of local vendors,” Mackie said.
In a release, the company said, “ESSENCE is more than a brand — we are a movement rooted in legacy, love, and liberation. New Orleans is sacred to our community, and the ESSENCE NOLA C3 is an intentional effort to uplift the entrepreneurs and creatives who shape this city’s soul.”
As one brand prepares to feel the ESSENCE embrace, they’re hoping others do not get discouraged.
“The biggest challenge is to just get past them and keep doing what you’re doing,” Crockett said.
Monday, the company released a statement saying, “In 2025, ESSENCE continues to support at least 300 local businesses — with total local business participation likely in the 300–600 range, and significant potential to surpass that as our Pipeline Initiative deepens economic ties in New Orleans.”
READ MORE:ESSENCE bringing on new local vendors for festival, some former vendors unintentionally shut out
