Everett celebration of Black culture to return Saturday

Published 12:50 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2026

DanVonique Bletson-Reed, center, dances with community members during a second line parade honoring Marylin Quincy at the 32nd annual Nubian Jam on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Forest Park in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)

DanVonique Bletson-Reed, center, dances with community members during a second line parade honoring Marylin Quincy at the 32nd annual Nubian Jam on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Forest Park in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)

EVERETT — An annual celebration of Black culture in Snohomish County is scheduled return this weekend for its 33rd year, featuring vendors, games and musical performances.

The Nubian Jam, the long-running event hosted by the Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee, will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Everett’s Forest Park. Admission is free.

The event will feature activities for children and families, live music, a DJ, an open mic competition, food vendors, displays of Black art and a marketplace of Black-owned businesses. The Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee will also host a ceremony to celebrate Black high school educators and graduates from the area.

“Simply put, the Nubian jam is a celebration,” wrote DanVonique Bletson-Reed, the president of the Snohomish Black Heritage Committee, in a June press release. “It’s a celebration of who we are as black people. The event is a place where we can be free, let our hair down, and express ourselves.”

More info: nubianjam.com.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.

Correction: A previous version of this story included an incorrect photo caption. The photo caption, from last year’s Nubian Jam, said it was the 33rd annual event. It was the 32nd.