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Beantown Beanfest™ Makes History as First-Ever Festival in Boston to Honor the Bean
1,500+ visitors attended the inaugural festival on June 24 to support the new Equalizer Institute
(Photo of The Bean Monster at Beantown Beanfest, courtesy of Beantown Beanfest)
(BOSTON) 6/29/23 – The first-ever Beantown Beanfest, dedicated to Boston’s namesake, the bean, was held on Saturday, June 24 on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Throughout the day, over 1,500 people sampled a multitude of ethnic cuisines that use beans and enjoyed crafts, games, and music that highlighted the bean spirit. Despite Boston being known internationally as “Beantown,” there had never been a festival centered around the city’s namesake.
To kick off the Beanfest, Christina Knowles, Beantown Beanfest Executive Director, read a proclamation from Mayor Michelle Wu that announced June 24, 2023, as “Beantown Beanfest Day in the City of Boston.” John Borders IV, Boston’s Director of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment attended and reiterated Mayor Wu’s and the City of Boston’s partnership with Beantown Beanfest and its support in helping grow local businesses. See Beantown Beanfest’s website for a full list of its 2023 vendors and entertainers.
“The first-ever Beantown Beanfest surpassed all our expectations and was a truly fantastic event that captured the spirit and essence of Boston,” said Christina Knowles. “Throughout the day, we showcased over 20 small business vendors throughout the area who demonstrated the importance of a strong local business economy. In their menus and offerings, the vendors underscored what beans mean to their businesses. Thank you, immensely, to all who attended and participated in our inaugural event. We look forward to continuing this tradition and bringing together even more vendors and participants in the years to come.”
Beantown Beanfest supports the Equalizer Institute, a new social-economic justice initiative of New England Legal Foundation (NELF) that will provide free corporate legal aid to entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities to help them start their businesses. Those underrepresented communities include BIPOC entrepreneurs, new and first-generation Americans, women, veterans, students, LGBTQ+ community, and others from diverse backgrounds who historically face barriers to starting up their companies.
“Beans, which span across cultures and across the globe, are a great equalizer among people through their affordability and accessibility,” said Daniel Winslow, President of the New England Legal Foundation. “This year’s Beantown Beanfest got us started in raising awareness for the Equalizer Institute and we are looking forward to launching this transformative initiative. NELF and the Equalizer Institute will champion the dreams and aspirations of budding entrepreneurs as they navigate the complexities of starting their businesses. Beantown Beanfest’s attendance further validates Boston’s enthusiasm for local entrepreneurship and its rich bean-based history.”
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, teamed up with Beantown Beanfest as its charitable partner and collected funds to provide over 300 meals to their neighbors in need on Saturday. Bush’s Best also donated a pallet of cans of beans to go directly to GBFB.
“The 2023 Beantown Beanfest would not have been possible without its extraordinary partners, sponsors, vendors, and musical entertainment. Each contributed meaningfully to Beantown Beanfest’s goals and helped expand the festival’s reach in this important year,” said Knowles.
Plans are in the works for the second annual Beantown Beanfest in June 2024. For updates visit www.beantownbeanfest.org.
Partners:
- 1A Auto Parts
- 118Group
- Amp Energy
- Astound Broadband Powered by RCN
- Boston Harbor Hotel
- Bush’s Best
- Caffe Nero
- FilterKleen
- Last Minute Productions
- Medea Charitable Foundation
- Rancho Gordo
- Seven Letter
- Trillium Brewing Company
- WCVB Channel 5
- Wayfair
Community Partners
- City of Boston / Mayor Wu
- Downtown Boston Business Improvement District
- Greater Boston Food Bank
- Greenway Conservancy
- Massachusetts Restaurant Association
- Meet Boston
Food Vendors:
- Chef Daryl’s Food
- El Colombiano Coffee
- Estella
- Fattoush
- Flavor Boom! LLC
- It’Sugar
- Mediterranean Grill Boston
- Suenos Heirloom Chocolate
- The Sausage Guy, Inc.
Food Trucks:
- Astound Ice Cream Truck
- Just Hummus
- Tacos Calleteco
- Vaz and Mac
Retailers:
- Bradford Woodworks featuring handcrafted bean toss games
- Trident Booksellers & Cafe featuring bean-themed books
- Pot Shop of Boston home of the official Boston Baked Bean Pots
- Wayfair, provider of Bean Bag chairs
Entertainment:
- Beantown Swing Orchestra
- Blue Martini Trio, jazz band
- Keytar Bear
- Sleeping Bee, jazz band
- Veronica Robles
About The Beantown Beanfest
Beantown Beanfest will support the Equalizer Institute, a social-economic justice initiative of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF) a Boston-based nonprofit organization that will provide free corporate legal aid to entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities to help them start their businesses. Those underrepresented communities include BIPOC entrepreneurs, new and first-generation Americans, women, veterans, students, LGBTQ+ community, and others from diverse backgrounds who historically face barriers to starting up their companies due to a lack of resources. www.beantownbeanfest.org
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