Thousands of people attended the inaugural Honeyland Festival in its initial launch over the weekend in Sugar Land, marking one of the largest events to celebrate Black culture, food, drinks, and music in the Houston area.
Musical headliners included R&B singers Miguel and Mary J. Blige, as well as performances from Summer Walker, Chloe Bailey, Lucky Daye, and Houston’s own Coco Jones, Tobe Nwigwe, Paul Wall, Z-Ro, Lil Keke, Slim Thug, Scarface, and more.
In addition to the musical talent, Chef Marcus Samuelsson and entrepreneur Fawn Weaver curated events around food and drink demonstrations. The sips and eats programming of the festival featured panel conversations, cooking demonstrations from distinguished chefs, and food from Black-owned businesses.
Houston rapper Lil Keke performing at the Honeyland Festival in Sugarland, TX, on Nov.12.
Marco Torres/@MarcoFromHoustonHouston has other examples of established Black festival celebrations, including the Houston Caribbean Festival, Houston Reggae Festival, and even the iconic Black Heritage Night at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Still, despite Houston being the fourth largest city in the nation and Black history being such an integral part of the region’s history, Missouri City native Arte Collins said he couldn’t remember anything like it in his hometown before.
“I never heard of [or] been to anything like this,” Collins told Chron. “In the past, people weren’t doing anything like Honeyland at all. It’s awesome, and it’s bringing more attraction to the city in a good and positive way.”
Similarly, “Rhythm and Groove” artist Lenora said that growing up on Houston’s southwest side, festivals as large as Honeyland were absent. “I can’t think of anything of this magnitude that’s bringing together Black music, food, and drinks and spirits in one space in the city,” she said after her performance.
“So I feel like there was definitely a wide open market before Honeyland got here, so I’m super excited to be a part of the first one.”
Lenora added that Houston’s music culture, like the creation of the chopped and screwed remixing technique, influences so much of her sound as an artist.
“The best way I can describe my sound is if Diana Ross meets DJ Screw. I put a lot of Screw elements in my music, and RIP to DJ Screw; he’s a pioneer in all kinds of music,” she said. “I definitely love to have those elements in my music regardless of it’s whimsical, if it’s disco, it’s a bang. Houston culture, we bang, we made screw.”
Houston singer Lenora performing at the inaugural Honeyland Festival in Sugarland, TX, on November 12.
Marco Torres/@MarcoFromHoustonHouston chef Keisha Griggs, who founded Kuji Kitchen in Sunnyside, said a festival like Honeyland is a long time coming for a city like Houston, where Black creativity and expression have always been rooted in its history.
“We’re all the same people eating the same things differently,” she said. “Houston is a melting pot. The fact that we have African chefs, Caribbean chefs, we have chefs from across the pond coming here bartenders, mixers, and mixologists coming here to cook the ingredients that are native to our culture is extremely important. And to see it all sewn together seamlessly is pretty f–king dope.”
She added that she hopes Honeyland creates a wave of similar festivals for Black creators in the future.
“I want Black people in the city to take away that without our culture, there will be nothing,” Griggs said. “We’re going to continue to see urban black-based initiates, festivals, and food and wine things that are highlighting African American people and or the global majority because there’s no room to not anymore.”