When 12 Black students at UC Davis decided to throw a backyard barbecue in 1968, they were looking for something simple: a space where they could see themselves reflected back. What started as an intimate gathering among friends has quietly become one of the most vibrant community celebrations on campus—and this Saturday, the 55th Annual Black Family Day is ready to prove why.
Organizers Makai Jones and Avion Johnson of the Cross Cultural Center at UC Davis aren’t staging just another campus event. They’re hosting a full-day celebration that spotlights Black-owned businesses, artists, and creators across the Sacramento region. From noon to 8 p.m. in the UC Davis Quad, the event transforms the campus into a marketplace of culture: Black-owned food vendors and trucks, craft booths, live performances spanning R&B, rap, jazz, and line dancing, plus a full lineup of student artists and local talent. There’s also a mechanical bull, inflatable games, face painting, henna artists, and games like musical chairs and a spelling bee where you can win free merchandise.
But here’s what makes this event truly special—it’s free, and it’s woven into UC Davis’s identity so deeply that the university’s designation as a Black Serving Institution owes much of its momentum to this very tradition. That’s not accidental. Five decades of showing up, of claiming space, of celebrating excellence, creates institutional weight. It sends a message: this community matters here.
The organizers have even commissioned local student artists Ademilola Sactown and Jeff De Leon to create original artwork for the event, and you can snag stickers and merchandise while supplies last. Register on Eventbrite and you’re in the running for free Black Family Day swag. Or just show up—it’s open to everyone, and with performances from live bands and DJs, plus enough activities to keep all ages entertained, Saturday is shaping up to be the kind of day that makes you remember why these traditions endure.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a living, breathing celebration of community that started with a simple idea: we belong here.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
