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BLACK: A Festival of Joy returns to Riverside Park

by Jenna Watson, Mirror Indy
September 15, 2025

<h1>BLACK: A Festival of Joy returns to Riverside Park</h1> <p class="byline">by Jenna Watson, Mirror Indy <br />September 15, 2025</p> <br /> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG003.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61971" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Festivalgoers listen to D’yshe Mansfield perform on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG004-1024x883.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61972" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Naiya Ashby (left) and Aurora Roper (right) participate in the Midwest Leak Jiggalate Competition on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG002-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61970" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A sign reading “Black joy” sits on the street Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG012-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61980" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Slumhaus Worldwide clothes are displayed on a rack, Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG011.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61979" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trap Orchestra performs its set on stage Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG009.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61977" style="width:810px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The crowd listens to music on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG015-717x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61983" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pac Abedi (left) and Kristina Hill pose for a picture Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG008-682x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61976" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A festivalgoer is interviewed about the day's festivities Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG007-1024x908.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61975" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Merannda Best (left) and Hannah Wilson pose for a picture on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG013-1024x731.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61981" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A customer points to an item from the Nap or Nothing booth Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <div class="wp-block-columns alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG005-638x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61973" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marliss Winfrey (right) and Maurine Bwambok pose for a picture on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <div class="wp-block-column"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG006-897x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61974" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jadah Rowan poses with a treat from 414 cookies and treats Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> </p></div> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BLACK-A-FESTIVAL-OF-JOY-2025_AG014.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61982" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Customers buy artisan ice pops on Sept. 13, 2025, at Riverside Regional Park in Indianapolis.</figcaption></figure> <p><em>Arrianna Gupton is a Mirror Indy contributing freelancer. Contact her at <a href="mailto:Http.Arrisworld@gmail.com">http.arrisworld@gmail.com</a>. </em></p></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/black-a-festival-of-joy-photos-indianapolis-2025/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=61951&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/black-a-festival-of-joy-photos-indianapolis-2025/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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