Black Owned Bos. Market celebrates six years in the Seaport with an expansion

The Little Cocoa Bean, a child-friendly cafe in Jamaica Plain, started off as a vendor at the Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market that takes place every month from May through October. This season they will be running the market’s play area.

“They’ve been participating with us for years, first as a vendor partner, selling their feeding tools and things like that, for children, and then transitioning to being the host of our play space. Their skilled staffers are there to engage with the children, and the young at heart, in a play space. It’s a really exciting value add of not just having toys and things for children to play with, but actually having people that are surrounded by children on a regular basis,” said Jae’da Turner, founder of Black Owned Bos.

According to Turner, developments like this one happen quite often at the market.

“We love to see the businesses that we’ve worked with throughout the years grow in scale to where maybe participating in a marketplace is beyond the scope of what their business is doing at this time. They’ve kind of reprioritized, and they’re focused on expanding their brick and mortar location, or opening up a new space, etc. We’re super excited when that happens, and it creates space for this evolution of different businesses, from kind of like a micro business becoming a bit more established to scaling,” Turner said.

Just like some of its vendors, the Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market is coming back this year bigger and better.

“We executed the marketplace at Seaport Common for all of the years, either on the pavers in front of the Current or on the grass. This year, we’re transitioning to Harbor Way, which is a more recently activated area of the Seaport with new shops opening and new buildings being constructed. It’s a new destination within the seaport,” said Turner.

While the market may draw people in, Turner hopes visitors will explore some of the other offerings in the Seaport.

The Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market vendors offer a variety of goods, including body products, clothing, candles and jewelry. PHOTO: NICK BRADY/BOSTON SEAPORT BY WS

“Being on that stretch of pavement allows us to have additional activations and just more space for people to hang out and spend the day with us. We want to make it more of an activity, vs. just going to the market. Check out the businesses in the Seaport and then head out to find something new to do. We encourage people to stick around and spend some time. Maybe they’ll grab something to eat, they’ll walk the strip, hang out on the swings that are kind of built into that harbor way area,” she said.

Emily Soukas, director of partnerships for WS Development, the company behind much of the Seaport’s redevelopment over the last few years, said that communal spirit is just part of what makes Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market great.

“It has really become a community. It’s part of the fabric of our neighborhood and we’re so proud to be able to host over 30 Black-owned businesses, through six markets throughout the year,” she said.

Continuing with that community spirit, Turner emphasizes that the market is for everyone.

“I think sometimes there’s this preconceived notion that Black businesses mean they’re for Black people, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said.

Turner said there’s a certain energy that comes with Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market, thanks to the diversity of the market.

“They get super excited, like we’ve had multiple instances where college students and they’re visiting the city for the first time, or people that are just visiting for work or a conference, or they’re moving to Boston, and they just moved there, and that’s kind of their first experience. It’s really exciting to be able to create that experience for them so that it touches on that brand of Boston that we’re looking to build on and expand,” she said.

Soukas said she hopes the excitement around the market and the Seaport’s other programming continues to attract people.

“We’re really trying to bring as many people to the neighborhood as possible to make amazing memories, whether that’s leaning into health and wellness and taking part in one of our free fitness series like Seaport Sweat or Stretch in the City, or doing something that’s more cultural or artful, like our free sketch classes called Seaport Sketch, which are on Tuesday nights. We’re really trying to program something that’s for everyone, all parts of the day, all days of the week,” she shared.