February 17-18, 2023
Black arts, music and film will be on full display in Fayetteville this February! The Arkansas Black Music and Film Expo, newly expanded and in its second year, will take place on February 17-18, 2023 at the Fayetteville Town Center.
Presented by local nonprofit Music Moves, the Arkansas Black Music and Film Expo will take place over two days this year, to coincide with the return of the Fayetteville Mardi Gras Fat Saturday Parade of Fools.
The Friday of the festival, February 17th, will focus on Black films, including screenings by former Razorback and Emmy Award Nominee Quinn Grovey and local filmmaker Michael Day. Attendees will also have the opportunity to witness a screening of “Fire in Little Africa”, a documentary commemorating the centennial of the 1921 Massacre in Oklahoma. Each screening includes a Q&A panel with the filmmaker. The evening ends with an open-bar afterparty, featuring live music from The Rodney Block Collective featuring Bijoux.
On Saturday, February 18th, the programming shifts to a celebration of Black music, with family-friendly events taking place over the afternoon festival block and a rowdy and festive music expo to follow at George’s Majestic Lounge. But first, catch Music Moves and the UAPB marching band at the Fayetteville Mardi Gras parade, beginning at 2pm! The Racy Brothers and Crescent City Combo will head up the family-friendly portion of the event, while Funk Factory, Branjae, Avery Sunshine, H-Town, and Ying Yang Twins will herald in a night of nostalgia and R&B at the evening party!
The Black Film Expo will be held at The Fayetteville Town Center on Friday, February 17th from 6:00-10:00pm. Tickets to the film portion of the event are $50 and can be purchased here.
The Black Music Expo will take place at George’s Majestic Lounge on Saturday, February 18th following the Fat Saturday Parade of Fools at 2:00pm. Tickets to the afternoon block are $10 and can be purchased here, while tickets for the 18+ Saturday evening performances are $30 and available here.
Weekend passes are available for $75 and can be purchased via the event page. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Arkansas Black Music & Film Expo Schedule
Friday, February 17th - Film Expo
- 6:00pm - Doors and bar open
- 7:00-9:00pm - Film Screenings
- Quinn Grovey, "Growing Up Grovey"
- Michael Day, "DAYVISION Films Presents: The Sextons"
- “Fire in Little Africa”
- 9:00-10:00pm - Afterparty at George’s Majestic Lounge with The Rodney Block Collective ft. Bijoux
Saturday, February 18th - Music Expo (Afternoon)
- 2:00pm - Fat Saturday Parade of Fools with Fayetteville Mardi Gras and the UAPB Marching Band
- 3:00pm - Crescent City Combo at George’s Majestic Lounge
- 4:00pm - Racy Brothers at George’s Majestic Lounge
Saturday, February 18th - Music Expo (Evening, 18+)
- 6:00pm - Doors Open
- 7:00pm - Funk Factory
- 7:50pm - Branjae
- 8:40pm - Avery Sunshine
- 9:45pm - H-Town
- 10:40pm - Ying Yang Twins
Music Moves is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make Black music and the arts accessible both to students and to our entire community through performance and education. The organization takes care to shine the spotlight on the importance of starting young when educating folks about the pioneers who paved the way for justice and equality for all. They believe that music is key to opening pathways of communication across cultural boundaries and take every opportunity to get out in the community and get people moving!
For more information about Music Moves and the Arkansas Black Music & Film Expo, please visit musicmovesar.com.
