GREENSBORO, N.C. — Lots of businesses will line the streets of downtown Greensboro for this weekend's Juneteenth Festivities.
This is the city's third year commemorating the federal holiday and organizers of the 2023 Juneteenth GSO Fest are doing it up with four days filled with events celebrating Black culture.
Black-owned business owners said the Black Food truck fest along with other events gives them much-needed exposure.
"You get a treat, you get a treat!" Leslie Hines owner of Pinky the Ice Cream Truck exclaimed.
"We got the best lemonade in the world," Jaidale Slade owner of I Love Lemonade shared.
Local food trucks and vendors are preparing for a sea of customers at the Juneteenth Black Food Truck Festival in Greensboro and shared what they are looking forward to.
"I'm looking forward to just the festivities, the food." Hines continued.
"Celebrating with the African-American culture," Slade added.
Community members from across the Triad are coming out to Center City and Lebauer Park to support Black-owned businesses ahead of the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.
"We're focusing on just celebrating just the whole collective, the city coming together and just celebrating all of us," Hines said.
Leslie Hines is the owner of Pinky the Ice Cream Truck, which specializes in sweet treats. She launched the business in 2021.
"I just wanted something where we didn't have to be inside a brick and mortar and have a nine to five and as a disabled vet I was allotted different types of opportunities," Hines said.
While starting a new business is exciting, she says it came with challenges.
"One of our main challenges was start-up costs, but it speaks to the benefit of credit wise and having strategy,"Hines said.
Antwon Foreman with Piedmont Business Capital helps provide assistance and resources to minority-owned businesses. He said one challenge new owners face is loan readiness.
"I oftentimes see businesses who've never done set income statements or financial statements or they've never completely written out their business plan because they were trying to cash flow fast. So, when they need cash for growth they are having to do a lot more steps," said Foreman.
He encourages new entrepreneurs to start a business and financial plan as soon as possible.
Jaidale Slade owns a lemonade tent called 'I love lemonade'.
"My vision for this business is to make it as big as Pepsi. I got the dreams of selling this company for like $50 million if possible," said Slade.
His business has been up and running for about a year. He says his biggest challenge was promoting the product.
"The hardest part was just showing up, and it could be the easiest part. It could be showing up on time showing up in the presence, I even sold lemonade in the rain," said Slade.
That's why he's looking forward to being a part of this year's festival to be in the presence of new customers and expand his audience.
The Juneteenth food truck festival is on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Center City and LeBauer Park.
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