Black-owned business marketplace celebrates 1-year anniversary after opening during pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky - The MELANnaire Marketplace celebrated its one year anniversary on Saturday.

In the middle of the pandemic, a group of black business owners came together to create the market at Manhattan on Broadway.

After starting with only a handful of businesses, the weekly event has grown to host at least 30 different businesses per event. The owner of Manhattan on Broadway says MELANnaire Marketplace was launched to help create generational wealth within black communities.

“We are trying to figure out a way to break down the barriers of the wealth gap,” says Nachand Trabue, founder of MELANnaire Marketplace. “This was one of the ways for us to say, 'hey let us create our own lane and start a marketplace for black businesses.' We started in the middle of the pandemic and we are still standing here today a year later.”

MELANnaire Market is open every Saturday at Manhattan on Broadway, and every third Saturday of the month the market is at Fourth Street Live.

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