This is one of those places you bring a date when you’re like:
“I’m of a different breed. The person I date must be as well. Let me bring them to AfroPunk Fest to see them in this element.”
If they dig it they are now your girlfriend/boyfriend & you can do that Facebook relationship status change thing the couples do nowadays. If they don’t, then you hope they suffer in silence so you don’t have to leave the festival prematurely. Either way, everyone wins! You win! lol
AfroPunk Fest is like… the land of awesomeness. It brings together a plethora of people who just… appreciate what can be considered as the total opposite of mainstream music & culture. It’s weird. It’s ironic. It’s eye-catching. It’s AMAZING.
This isn’t one of those places where you bring a date when you want to cozy up and have a talk about your childhood experiences and professional goals. If you bring a date to AfroPunk Fest you are trying to bypass all of the empty chatter and see how they appreciate (or despise) music & art that is socially “different”.
Bringing a date to AfroPunk Fest reveals whether you either share the same taste in music & cultural expression… OR you can appreciate & respect each other’s interest while having a difference in taste. The worse revelation would be that you’ve encountered someone who doesn’t like your taste in music AND is disrespectful in their approach to revealing that fact (calling it stupid, being totally disengaged, making fun of the experience ect.) That is huge… & very important when it comes to dating.
And don’t let the terms “Afro” and “Black Music” form your impression that this festival is only for Afro wearing black folks. No, no, no. Everyone is welcome here and invited… as long as you respect the atmosphere. I’ve come across people from practically every racial background, age, and gender group (regardless of identification)… & every sight I laid my eyes on blew my mind. I could only imagine coming here with some fine man that I think is incredibly dope. Icing on the cake!
Add in the blankets covering the grounds, the “street market” style tents of cool things to purchase, and an array of talented artists performing live as you vibe to music you possibly are hearing for the 1st time… and you have yourself one memorable date!
So take my advice & check it out. Today is the last day of the festival for 2014 but you can always be ahead of the game for subsequent years. They are usually held in the month of August.
Who knows, if you keep these unique dates up you might be bringing your official boo to AfroPunk Fest & not just the new person you met on the train. lol. Seriously tho, check it out.
Note: AfroPunk Fest is held annually in Brooklyn, NY at Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene. See www.afropunkfest.com
Alice Smith is incredible! Take my word for it.
I attended Afropunk for the first time yesterday. I was solo dolo, but it was an AWESOME experience. I am definitely returning next year, this time with more money, there were so many clothes I wanted to buy!
I totally agree! The atmosphere is just amazing… so many creative vibes & beautiful views. As you mentioned, I will be shopping more next year as well. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself!!