Chicago gets its first locs festival at Kennedy-King College

Gail Mitchell and the Loc’d Life Foundation are launching the Loc’d Life Expo on Sept. 12 at Kennedy-King College, bringing Chicago’s loc’d and natural-hair communities together for a day of culture, entrepreneurship and celebration. The event adds a new platform for local businesses, awards and programming centered on identity and self-expression.

Why it matters: - The Loc’d Life Expo is Chicago’s first festival focused on locs, giving the city’s loc’d and natural-hair communities a dedicated public event. - The gathering is designed to connect culture with entrepreneurship, education and self-expression. - The Expo also creates visibility for businesses that serve locs and natural hair.

What happened: - Gail Mitchell, executive director of the Loc’d Life Foundation, is leading the Loc’d Life Expo on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Kennedy-King College in Chicago. - The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 740 W. 63rd Street. - Mitchell is a Chicago native born to Jamaican-born immigrants and has worn locs for 18 years. - The event celebrates loc culture, natural hair, fashion, entrepreneurship, education and community.

The details: - The Expo will include a live hair and fashion show, panel discussions, demonstrations, performances, music, food, vendors, swag bags and a Kidz Korner. - Attendees will be able to discover products and services for locs and natural hair while supporting entrepreneurs serving those communities. - Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor and Korporate will be honored during the event. - Dr. Kisha Roberts Tabb and Dilla are also part of the day’s programming. - Loc’d Life Magazine is sponsoring the Expo. - Community partners include Styles4Kidz, Black Girl Vitamins and the Center of Equity for Creative Arts at Kennedy-King College, among others. - Ticket information is available through the Loc’d Life Expo listing. - More information is available at Loc’d Life Foundation.

Between the lines: - Mitchell’s background in Chicago design, publishing and education shapes the Expo’s mix of creative programming and business opportunity. - Mitchell has worked in Chicago’s design industry for more than 20 years. - Her past roles include the Chicago Tribune, Associated Publications, Johnson Publishing Company, [culture] Magazine and the Chicago Defender. - As an associate professor of communication design at Kennedy-King College, Mitchell also brings the event into a campus setting tied to education and community engagement. - The Expo reflects a broader push to move locs beyond a hairstyle and frame them as culture, identity and self-expression.

What's next: - Organizers will recognize the winners of the first-ever Loc’d Life LadyLocs Awards during the Expo. - The event is expected to serve as a recurring platform for cultural celebration, representation and entrepreneurship through the Loc’d Life Foundation. - The Loc’d Life Foundation says it aims to keep increasing visibility for the loc’d community through programming and events like this one.

The bottom line: - Chicago’s first locs festival is positioning locs as both a cultural identity and an economic connector for the city’s natural-hair community.