Two HBCU alumni are putting on what they call a “brunch utopia.” They’re doing this in a region of the country that taught them how to brunch correctly and where the Black community singlehandedly transformed the brunch experience worldwide.
Mimosa City Festival is a champagne and culture-centered experience celebrating Maryland’s incredible food and wine industry. It also celebrates Black culture, businesses, and community.
Morgan State University alums Tarrance Taylor and A. Thomas Lampkin remembers the OG brunch experience in Washington, D.C. – a time before the outside was expensive, before bottomless mimosas, tables had a time limit, and before it cost a few limbs.
“Brunch started getting really popular in Washington, D.C., in 2013 and 2014. This was when Gryphon, Ozio, Decades, and so many other places started getting popular,” Taylor tells Travel Noire. “ It was a really cool experience. I really loved the idea and the atmosphere of celebration.”
After graduating, Taylor, who’s a DJ, carried that spirit of celebration with him throughout the cities he’s traveled to for Mimosa City club events. Taylor traveled to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and even Jamaica, bringing each city the ultimate brunch and day party experience.
The Mimosa City Festival is a full-circle moment for Lampkin and Taylor as they return to Baltimore for the inaugural festival. It will be held next to the building where Taylor hosted the first-ever Mimosa City experience.
“Baltimore is a second home and the place where Mimosa City started. I wanted the city to have its own thing,” says Taylor. “The people of Baltimore are amazing, and when you show them love, they show you love back. I thought this was an amazing opportunity to show them the loving that they deserve.”
Mimosa City Festival Proving Baltimore Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
This brunch utopia will include the essentials for the ultimate brunch experience: mimosas, food, and music.
It’s a celebration of Black culture and community, an expression of love, and it’s also a reflection on how dull the world would be without the influences and contributions of Black people.
“For millennials and the younger generation on the cusp of being a millennial, there was a desire and need for a good time and to enjoy ourselves,” says Lampkin. “We have really elevated and evolved what brunch is today, even creating a style behind how we brunch. I honestly think we’re a better society for it.”
Mimosa City Festival will feature mimosas, of course, and brunch-inspired cocktails. Lampkin and Thomas also teamed up with Morgan State Alumni Dash The Chef for a delectable menu to pair your brunch cocktail with. Along with live cooking demonstrations by Chef Dash, there will be games, art installations from local artists, mimosa drinking contests, four DJ sets, and other surprises as well.
There are two different ticket options. The general admission ticket gives people access to the festival and allows them to explore the grounds inside and outside the venue. The GA ticket gives people access to a dedicated cash bar, bottle service, and vendors.
If you have the extra cash to spare, the VIP ticket is where it’s at. Guests will get everything the GA ticket grants access, plus all access to the Mimosa Lounge Premium Stage, complimentary meals and mimosas from a private chef, food activations, an exclusive VIP bar, and the curated cocktail menu.
The brunch festival will take place at HammerJacks Baltimore on June 8 from noon to 9 p.m. For additional details, including ticket information, visit the Mimosa City Festival website.
