by Shawn Nowlin
A festival unlike anything Roanoke has ever experienced before took place on Sept. 20.
Courtesy of The Humble Hustle Company, Inc., a Roanoke-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved youth through cultural experiences and community engagement, The Urban Rodeo: Not Your Average Boots on the Ground Festival took over Elmwood Park last Saturday.
The family-friendly, all-ages festival highlighted the history of Black cowboy culture. Festivalgoers also took full advantage of the vendors, interactive attractions and high-energy rodeo fun, starting at 4 p.m.
The first act to hit the stage was DJ Kidd. Following him were DJ Pair’re, Social Distance Band, DJ Blast 540 and DJ Showtime. The festival also featured 803Fresh, a popular Southern Soul musician known for the hits “This Ain’t That,” “Jump Judy” and “Everything She Wants.”
“We were intentional in bringing Southern Soul to the streets of Roanoke – curated for the culture, by the culture,” Humble Hustle founder Xavier Duckett said. “We encouraged people to pull up in their boots, cowboy hats and cutoffs. It was important that attendees danced, partied and had a great time with rhythm and real rodeo energy.”
Bass Reaves, Nat Love and Charley Willis are notable Black cowboys, historically. When Capri Walker arrived at Elmwood Park, she admittedly didn’t know much about the aforementioned names. She said those sitting next to her were true historians and dropped a lot of gems on her.
“Honestly speaking, I was completely ignorant about the history of Black cowboys. When I looked around the park, I saw nothing but laughter, excitement and line dancing. This was Black joy on full display,” she said.
Many festivalgoers attended the Humble Hustle Urban Picnic the following day at the field behind the Roanoke Higher Education Center. Designed to bring people together, a silent movie was shown under the evening sky.
“What an awesome way to end summer on a great note! It’s been a while since I had this much fun. Like so many others, I am hopeful that this festival and picnic becomes a yearly tradition,” Walker said.
Said Humble Hustle Company Director of Brand Engagement Austin Bratton in a press release, “Proceeds from The Urban Rodeo and The Urban Picnic will directly support The Humble Hustle Company’s youth programs and community initiatives — including mentorship, outdoor exploration, The Collective programs, and education. Every ticket that was purchased helps further the mission to expose, educate, and empower our community.”
