Melanin Market Inc (MCG)

Outdoor activity organiser, Venues & Event Spaces, Events Venue in Jacksonville, FL

Address

822 A Philip Randolph Blvd, Jacksonville, FL, 32206

Phone

(904) 701-7555

Website

jaxmelaninmarket.com

About Melanin Market Inc (MCG)

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs outdoor street markets in Jacksonville's Historic Eastside, featuring local vendors, artists, music, and Black-owned businesses. Programming extends beyond the market to bus tours of historically African American sites, business education workshops, mini-grants, memberships with access to free workshops and grant opportunities, and family events including back-to-school giveaways, fall festivals, Christmas events, and a summer splash waterpark. Vendor slots, membership, and volunteer roles are open to the public.

The market began when a revitalization event promised to local business owners was instead set up on vacant lots away from the businesses it was meant to help. A business owner and a friend known for organizing community events rallied vendors, brought in a DJ, and staged an impromptu sidewalk market where the community actually lived and worked, drawing crowds away from the original event. Within six weeks the group scaled it into a Black History celebration with over 100 business owners and a parade of roughly 80 groups. By 2025 the organization reports more than $70,000 in mini-grants, workshops for over 500 small business owners, and programs reaching more than 1,000 children.

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