Hundreds of people gathered in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesant’s Restoration Plaza on Sunday for Loc Fest NYC 2025, a cultural celebration for loc’d and natural hair in stunning styles and creativity.
Participants enjoyed food from local vendors, a hair and fashion show, live performances and DJs who mixed Afrobeats, Reggae, Soca and Dancehall tunes.
"Loc Fest is a cultural festival that celebrates the beauty of loc'd hair and unifies the ever growing loc'd culture community," said Kimberly Jones, chief executive officer of Loc Fest NYC. "Loc Fest raises an awareness about the discriminatory laws and practices affecting the loc'd community, educates the community about the history and culture of locs."
One panel conversation explored creativity mentoring the youth, and a community care discussion, hosted by Natasha Gaspard, founder of Mane Moves Media, involved panelists Annette Roche, co-founder of NappStar NYC, Thando Kafele, master natural hair lotician and educator, Naomi Cudjoe Rogers, chief executive officer of Natty by Nayee and Sabine Bellevue, celebrity natural hair stylist and author.
The highlight of the festival was the Loc’d Hair Show, where talented stylists and models transformed locs into stunning living sculptures, showcasing the artistry and versatility of locs through innovative designs.
