CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The 2026 Charlottesville-Albemarle Black Business Expo is set for Saturday, June 20 at the Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center (JSHAAC), running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Expo, in its 10th year, celebrates Black-owned business and will host over 40 vendors, three panel discussions, live entertainment, and a business pitch competition. Organized by Lifeview Marketing and WTJU, the event is co-sponsored by the Albemarle County Economic Development Office.

Additionally, the Expo will be partnering with the JSHAAC’s Juneteenth Celebration for the second year, with the dual event to occur in the Jefferson School City Center courtyard. Live entertainment will include performances by the Mighty Joshua band, Ivan Orr & the Soul Essentials, as well as a live DJ from 101.3 Jamz and line dancing.

The business pitch competition – sponsored by the Community Investment Collaborative – will take place at 3 p.m. with participants given 3 minutes to present a new or existing business to a panel of judges, and a $1,500 cash prize offered for the winning pitch.

Director Ty Cooper noted the importance of the event, which brings together entrepreneurs, entertainers and community members in a unique way.

“They get an opportunity to do something that’s not always available,” Cooper said. “We don’t have business expos here that often… so people really look forward to it.”

Started as a response to the Unite the Right rally in 2017, the Expo celebrates Black businesses in Charlottesville and Albemarle, and continues to grow with new vendors and partnerships, helping participating businesses gain exposure and network.

Now in its 10th year, the event has hit capacity for vendors and the pitch competition, Cooper said, while the JSHAAC partnership provides the opportunity for community members to connect with local businesses and commemorate Juneteenth in one space. The organizations will run a Junteenth parade at 9 a.m. on that Saturday.

“We’re bringing our forces together to really represent the community that we want to represent. It just feels good to do it with them,” Cooper said.

United Way of Greater Charlottesville, a nonprofit organization that has been a vendor at the Expo since its inception, plans to return this year to offer resources and information to business owners and the broader community, according to Chief Engagement Officer Caroline Emerson.

“Supporting the Expo really aligns with our work to promote economic prosperity for all families,” Emerson said. “Small businesses are built and created by families, by people, and when they succeed, we’re creating financial stability for those families that own the businesses, but also for their employees. And customers benefit as well.”

Emerson highlighted that the nonprofit directs businesses to development and Envisioned Enterprise grants in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Charlottesville, helping support entrepreneurship and sustain families. United Way will offer staff representatives from their school readiness, financial stability and connected community teams at the event, hoping to work with attendees.

“It all fits together,” Emerson said. “We’re truly trying to create an ecosystem that helps small businesses grow and thrive in our community because that’s a way for families to grow and thrive.”

The event is free to attend and open to all, which Cooper believes has been one of its strengths over the last decade as it spotlights upcoming and established Black businesses across Albemarle and Charlottesville.

“It’s really a giving event.” Cooper said. “And that’s why I think it’s good for the community… we’re trying to provide opportunities for businesses to represent themselves in the best way.”