All Of The Reasons Why Every Black Woman You Know Was At ESSENCE Fest 2018

If you weren’t in attendance at the 2018 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans over the weekend, you probably noticed that every other Black woman on your feed made it there…and you’re suffering from major FOMO. Year after year, there’s no better place to be for sisters to convene then down in NOLA for the first week of July. Hundreds of thousands of Black women, men, and children touch down upon the Bayou city for some good eats, good drinks, and most importantly, a good time. This year, for the 24th annual gathering of the largest music festival in the country (that’s right, it’s even bigger than BeyChella), there were some pretty epic proof that ESSENCE Fest is always the place to be. Allow us to break it on down and count the ways! You See Nothing But Squad Goals ESSENCE Fest is really the ultimate girls trip! Because Self-Care There’s really no better place to have Black women pour into you. We promise! All The Celeb Sightings Everywhere you turn, you’re bound to see one or two, perhaps three, of your favorite stars. The. Eye. Candy. Trust us when we say there is no shortage of cuties all over the city. It’s Where You Get Major Fashion Inspo The girls bring out the best of their closets when they show up and show out at festival! You Get To Hear Your Favorite Old School Jams Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing Experience, anyone? You Get To Watch Mary J. Blige Show Off Her Amazing Moves Go Mary! Go Mary! What Better Place To Wear All-White Black people in white ensembles just go together. You Get Epic Surprises You never know who is going to pop up and give you a show. A second line could appear or Kirk Franklin could just jump onstage! Did We Mention The Food There’s no such thing as too many beignets. You Get All The Beauty Looks We’re definitely taking notes on this one. And You Can Scope Your Next Hair Style We could rock this look, for sure! Plus Your Fave Celeb Couples Make An Appearance Can you say #Goals on #Goals?! Are you ready to book your tickets to festival next year?