By D’Asya Collier-Williams
This year’s Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival in St. Petersburg marked a major milestone for the local community, blending food, health and culture. What started as a small fundraiser in a church basement in 2018 has grown into an annual event that draws hundreds of attendees from across the city.
“We started with just a small group, cooking greens to raise money for kids at our church, and now look at where we are today,” said Tamikae Mitchem, one of the festival’s founders.
What began nearly two decades ago as a humble church fundraiser has become a cornerstone event, showcasing the vibrant culture and history of St. Petersburg’s Historic Black District.
The festival’s origins trace back to an accidental culinary experiment when one of the founders, cooking collard greens in a pressure cooker, forgot to add water and thought they had ruined the dish. To their surprise, the greens turned out perfectly, and it sparked the idea to share this unique cooking method with the community.
The festival, originally founded in 2018 by Samantha Harris, Boyzell Hosey and Tamikae Mitchem, now draws attendees from all over the region.
“It’s been amazing to see the community embrace this celebration, and each year it continues to grow,” Mitchem said.
The event has evolved, incorporating not only food and entertainment but also health and wellness. This year, organizers emphasized the theme of “health is wealth,” with vendors offering nutritional advice, wellness products and mental health resources.
One of the festival’s regular attendees, Jasmine Fracier, shared her excitement about the event.
“I’ve been living here for two years, and I just love this community,” Fracier said. “It’s so welcoming, and it’s nice to see so many familiar faces. It’s a great event, and I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
In addition to focusing on health, the festival has placed a growing emphasis on supporting local businesses and empowering the Black community. This year, organizers expanded the number of local vendors, ensuring that money circulates within the community.
Dr. Angela Thompson, a local health expert, emphasized the importance of community wellness events.
“It’s essential for festivals like this to focus on both physical and mental health,” Thompson said, “as they help foster connections and provide resources that individuals may not otherwise have access to.”
Entertainment also plays a key role in the festival, with live performances from up-and-coming local artists. Providing the opportunity for attendees to discover new talent, and the event allowed young performers to share their passion with a larger audience.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth,” said one festival organizer. “There’s been a lot of positive feedback from the community, and we listen to it. That’s why we’ve added more entertainment, including opportunities for young artists to showcase their talents. We want to provide a platform for the next generation.”
Bababa James, who traveled from Atlanta, Georgia to attend the festival, brought his own unique touch to the event. As a vendor selling ice cream, he shared his connection to the Collard Green Festival’s larger network.
“I started these festivals in California, and it’s exciting to see how they’ve grown,” James said. “I have my own collard greens festival in California, and I hope we can collaborate and bring more attention to the Black community through these events. We can make a real impact together.”
Despite its success, the festival has begun to outgrow its current space in the historic Black district. Organizers are now exploring options to expand, possibly relocating to a larger venue to accommodate the growing number of attendees.
“We’ve reached a point where we need more space, especially for parking,” Mitchem said. “We’re very intentional about listening to our community’s feedback and adjusting our plans accordingly. The goal is to make sure the festival continues to serve and grow with the community.”
Looking ahead, organizers are already brainstorming ways to expand the festival’s impact, including the possibility of future collaborations with the original California-based festival.
“We have our 10th anniversary coming up in a couple of years, and we’re definitely thinking about what the future holds for this event,” one of the founders said.
As the Collard Green Festival continues to grow and evolve, one thing remains clear: it’s a celebration of the past, present and future of the community.
Whether it’s enjoying the delicious collard greens, supporting local businesses or learning more about health and wellness, this annual festival is considered to be a reminder of the power of community and the importance of locals coming together to celebrate culture, history and a brighter future.