A celebration of African-American-led businesses will debut on Quincy Square May 2, 2026, as the Bremerton Black Market invites residents to shop handmade goods, sample local food and connect with community members in a vibrant, open-air marketplace.
Organizer Mike Barnet describes the event as a dynamic gathering featuring artisans, food vendors, live performers and small Black-owned brands, drawing a diverse crowd to downtown Bremerton. With entertainment, local flavors and a family-friendly atmosphere, vendors will have an opportunity to expand their customer base while highlighting creativity and entrepreneurship within the Black community.
Barnet said the concept grew from a desire to strengthen Black economics and build space for independent makers. “It’s a combination of just recognizing that the Black community needs to focus on creating economic opportunities for ourselves, as well as also wanting to support local businesses,” Barnet said. He added that watching large-scale boycotts and shifts in consumer purchasing made him consider how intentional spending could benefit Black businesses locally.
Barnet said Quincy Square was chosen both for its community visibility and its personal significance. He was involved in early development discussions for the space and said hosting the first market there felt fitting. Quincy Jones has long been a musical inspiration for him, Barnet said, and the chance to host an event honoring a figure tied to the city made the location “perfect for it.”
Barnet expects about 25 vendors at the inaugural market, with a few spots still open. Vendor selection included outreach to Black business owners he already knew, recommendations through word of mouth and applications submitted through the event website. “If you have a local business and you have something to offer, apply and see if it works out,” he said.
“The idea is to make this a quarterly event,” Barnet said.
Alongside food and artisan goods, the market will feature a booth operated by Barnet selling everyday household essentials produced by Black-owned companies, including Reel Toilet Paper, True Laundry Detergent, VoltCell Batteries and Sawaa’s products.
Barnet said he hopes the market fosters both visibility and intention — encouraging shoppers to support Black businesses more regularly, even in small ways. “If we actually make the point to set aside money to buy a particular product, even if it’s once a month, just something consistently, we can make a change,” he said.
He said the long-term goal is simple: keep the experience positive, familiar and repeatable. “I want people to go, ‘Oh, that was really great,’” Barnet said. “More than anything, I just want to get Black businesses in front of Black people and the community in general, just so we can start having the conversation of, hey, why not focus some of our dollars intentionally on Black businesses?”
Barnet said organizers plan to continue the market beyond its launch if vendor interest remains strong. “We need Black everything. We need Black doctors. We need Black plumbers. We need Black teachers,” he said. “I’m hoping that maybe we can all start realizing that and start working on it.”
