When the Oakland musician Fantastic Negrito, a.k.a. Xavier Dphrepaulezz, started his new independent record label Storefront Records, he talked about how he wanted its West Oakland home base to be a resource for the local community. What better way to kick off that effort than by hosting free outdoor events in the building’s courtyard and parking lot at the corner of 34th Street and San Pablo Avenue?
So was born Storefront Market, a community-minded event series that takes place on the last Saturday afternoon of every month. Each iteration of the market has its own theme (say, a street food fair or a vinyl swap meet) and live music lineup—and, not for nothing, there’s always an abundance of tasty and reasonably priced food available for purchase.
The events are all meant to be family-friendly, but the edition coming up this Saturday, July 31, is especially focused on food, music and activities to appeal to kids. Fittingly, it’s called the Fountain of Youth Festival.
Adu Abraham, the event’s organizer, says it’s important to note that the festival’s immediate vicinity in West Oakland is largely a food desert. And there aren’t many other folks in the neighborhood putting together free events like this that pull in vendors from all over Oakland. “It’s welcoming enough that people feel comfortable to bring their kids or their dogs,” she says.
As for the youth focus of Saturday’s event, it isn’t just a matter of setting up a crafts table or having someone in clown makeup tie animal balloons—not that there’s anything wrong with those things. (Indeed, the Fountain of Youth Festival will have a few hands-on activities like a drum workshop.)
But the biggest focus will be on providing opportunities for young people in Oakland to build a better future for themselves. In short, Abraham says, “the goal is to encourage financial literacy among the youth.”
