Nefetari Dennard had a mini-viral moment in the throes of 2020. The CEO and founder of The Fuzzy Pineapple had placed the annual Art + Craft Festival on hold in 2019 with plans to come back full force in 2021. The timing was opportune for Dennard given the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. 

Despite that historic year’s setbacks, Dennard’s online shop got the attention of social media influencers. Many re-posted her merchandise and content to show solidarity with black-owned businesses during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. One company shared Dennard’s store with their 2 million followers which resulted in six months’ worth of orders being placed in the span of two days. 

“That was the avalanche,” recalls Dennard. “I closed my business down to focus on that.” 

Dennard’s sights are set on re-opening her business at a new physical location by November. Preceding that to-be-determined date, she is excited to launch the fifth annual The Fuzzy Pineapple Art + Craft Festival: TFP Fest on Saturday October 16. 

This will be the first time the festival is hosted at the new storefront. Dennard says this is one of the few festivals where there is no fee to apply which makes it a perfect first step for burgeoning creative businesses. 

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