Fades, Spades and Shades Festival

The Fades, Spades and Shades Festival comes to The African American Cultural and Heritage Facility (AACHF) on Saturday, August 1, from 12 PM to 7 PM. It's a free, public cultural event built for Black and Brown men and their families, and it's centered around The B-Side Experience.

The day is built from things that feel familiar: barbering, games, conversation, music and local commerce. Those are the entry points into a wider effort around mentorship, entrepreneurship, wellness, accountability and community cohesion. On the ground, that looks like a live barber showcase, intergenerational tournament play, four structured wellness Cyphers and a vendor marketplace. The resources are directed toward youth licensure pathways, domestic-violence prevention, mentorship enrollment and neighborhood-scale economic circulation.

The House of eMaGi produces the event. Founded in 2003 by Cleva Kah, it's a FY24 City of Austin Elevate Grant awardee, and 100 Black Men of Austin, Inc., a 501(c)(3), provides fiscal sponsorship. The venue, the AACHF, anchors Austin's African American Historical and Cultural Heritage District and houses the historical Dedrick Hamilton House, built circa 1880 in one of East Austin's earliest African American communities. It now serves as an African American Visitors Centre and Art Studio, and its façade carries a 6' by 25' glass and ceramic tile mosaic mural by artist Reginald C.

It's free and open to the public, so you can drop in whenever you like between 12 PM and 7 PM at 912 E 11th St.