Troostapalooza Is Back for 2020! Join the Celebration from Anywhere

For the past two years, Troostapalooza has been an empowering community gathering. The event — which is part street fair, part business showcase and all awesome — was started by the Troost Market Collective, an organization that aims to create equitable opportunities for creative entrepreneurs.

“We wanted to have a gathering where we could bring everyone in the community together in a fun way,” says Katie Mabry van Dieren, co-founder of Troost Market Collective. “The event has been such an important and joyful day. We want to make sure that even though we are in the middle of a global pandemic, we still can shine a light on and support Troost Avenue.”

But just like everything else in 2020, this year’s event is a little different.

Troostapalooza goes virtual

Due to COVID-19, an in-person festival just isn’t possible. But Troost Market Collective has found a unique way to take the event online.

Troostapalooza will go live from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 17. To “visit” the event, just go to Troostapalooza.com. Organizers are coordinating an online experience that features a live stream as well as virtual booths for small businesses.

“We’ll use a platform called BoothCentral for the live stream and offers guest chat at the top of the ‘event’ and virtual booths under the live stream,” Katie says. “Each ‘booth’ will feature a small business from the community that guests can shop from or learn more about their mission. Some business owners will even be in their virtual booths, and guests can chat live with them on video. It’s really an integrative and impressive platform.”

Getting to know local entrepreneurs isn’t the only reason to tune in for Troostapalooza 2020. Local musician Eems will bring his ukulele blend of pop, dance, hip hop and folk music to online performances. And UnLESHed+ will offer a fashion show. In fact, UnLESHed+’s owner, Alesha Bowman, was featured on “Ellen” in early October 2020.

Troost Market Collective will release a complete lineup in the days leading up to the Oct. 17 event.

Bringing the community together

Events like Troostapalooza don’t just celebrate the community. They are also a community effort.

“We are so excited to have KCSourceLink, UMKC and The Porter House KC on board,” Katie says. “We’re going to talk about Global Entrepreneurship Week – Kansas City. UMKC will do some videos, and we’ll do interviews with the makers and small businesses that are in the Troost Corridor.”

Troost Market Collective will also launch a digital platform at the event. It’s a secret until Oct. 17, but the tech promises to be a powerful asset for local businesses.

The fun and community of Troostapalooza is at your fingertips. Grab a drink, sit in the sunshine and log on noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.