ABOUT KWANZAA CRAWL

THE LARGEST CELEBRATION OF KWANZAA

Thousands of Kwanzaa Crawlers divided into dozens of teams in Brooklyn, traveling from bar-to-bar singing and dancing, dressed in whatever makes them feel unapologetically Black and beautiful - That’s the magic of Kwanzaa Crawl.

It's a day of UNITY, FELLOWSHIP, and FUN!

We’ve been doing this for ten years, generated millions of dollars for local Black-owned businesses, and grown a community who helped us build this movement brick-by-brick. What started with 17 bars in 2016 has evolved into the largest Black bar crawl in the world, a Black vendor marketplace, a network of thousands who support the community, and shown the world what’s possible when we move together in unity.

That’s all worth celebrating, so this year we’re throwing our usual first night of Kwanzaa celebration AND a special summer Crawl!

Kwanzaa Crawl: Family Reunion

Saturday June 6, 2026

OUR FOUNDERS

  • Kerry Coddett is a Brooklyn-born writer, director, actress, stand-up comedian, and all-around storyteller whose work thrives in the gray areas: where nuance reigns, contradictions thrive, and preconceived notions unravel. She recently made her directorial debut with the short film  ZEKE, which premiered at the American Black Film Festival and earned numerous awards at festivals nationwide. In 2025, her one-woman show, MUDHOLE, made its sold-out Off-Broadway debut at Ars Nova’s prestigious ANT Fest. The show has since been selected for the 2026 Netflix Is a Joke Festival and is produced by Lena Waithe. Kerry was also a standout Fellow in the 2025 Rideback Rise Program a highly selective content accelerator founded by Netflix’s head of film to support visionary filmmakers in developing market-ready, mainstream projects. (Their words, not hers.) 

    She has most recently served as a co-producer on a pre-greenlight Apple TV crime drama executive-produced by David Oyelowo. She is also a graduate of the WGA Showrunner Training Program. Before that, she wrote on both seasons of Flatbush Misdemeanors on Showtime and appeared as a recurring guest star in season 1. On-screen, Kerry has appeared in Hulu's Ramy, Showtime’s Desus and Mero, and Pause w/ Sam Jay on HBO. Before turning to comedy, Kerry graduated from college cum laude at 19 and started her own business as a fashion designer and stylist for Jay-Z.

    • Krystal Payne is an Executive Producer/Founder of Grandma’s Haus Productions , a production company that  develops and produces content for TV, film, digital and live performances. Most recently, she had a development deal with Warner Bros for a half-hour scripted comedy and she has co-executive produced a stand-up tv special for Comedy Central, alongside Bill Burr and Pete Davidson. Previously, Krystal has managed comedic talent who have appeared on networks including Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Starz, HBO, FOX, Bravo, VH1, and truTV. Krystal proudly serves on the board of the Associates division of HollywoodRadio and Television Society (HRTS), a networking organization dedicated to the ongoing success of the television business. Prior to embarking on a career in entertainment, Krystal worked as a marketing executive for more than 10 years. She developed marketing strategies and executed major advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including American Express, HSBC, Verizon and Pfizer.

Kwanzaa crawl embodies all seven principles of kwanzaa:

  • Kwanzaa Crawl® is about bringing people in the community together. 

  • A team of Black creatives use the resources available to them in order to make an event of this scale happen.

  • Kwanzaa Crawl® creates an opportunity for Black people to harness their buying power.

  • The planning, marketing, writing, and designing demonstrates creativity.

  • Creating an event which focuses on investing in your community to improve your quality of life is purpose.

  • Getting the owners of over 15 bars to open up for business on the day after Christmas, with the hope that the community will show up is faith.