Black hair and Black joy: 9th Annual Frizz Fest draws impressive crowd despite high temperatures

At 2 p.m. on Saturday in Tower Grove Park, the 9th Annual Frizz Fest appeared to be a casualty of the debilitating heat across the St. Louis area. Less than a handful of people sat in the chairs facing the Frizz Fest mainstage, feeling the sun beating directly on their backs. Food trucks and vendors lined the area from Grand and Magnolia down to the middle of the park, but the space normally buzzing with people celebrating textured hair of all types was uncharacteristically empty. Stage host Tee Parks did her best to keep the crowd engaged, but reminded them to stay hydrated.

Aloha Mischeaux hit the stage with the song “I Love My Hair,” performing as if oblivious to the triple‑digit heat index — and the crowd appreciated the energy. But when the Healthy Hair Solutions Hair Show kicked off at 2:30 p.m., the festival seemed to instantly activate.

“We have been with Frizz Fest for the past…I don’t know how many years. I’m not counting anymore,” said Tendai Morris, founder of the Healthy Hair Solutions natural hair care line. “It gets bigger and better every year,” Morris said. “Let’s give it up for Leslie and Val for doing such an amazing job and give a shout out to the whole team.”

Healthy Hair Solutions has been growing as well. Founded in St. Louis, the brand now has a national footprint. Morris announced on the Frizz Fest stage that they recently expanded to the Dallas, Texas region.

Before the models walked the stage with hair and fashion that looked like it was blooming from their heads and bodies, Morris had a surprise. “There’s a saying by Coco Chanel,” Morris said. “It says, ‘A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.’ I met somebody and I said, ‘Would you be willing to cut your hair off?’”

A woman who called herself Seven walked on stage wearing a long wig — and carrying a Chanel purse. Morris encouraged the crowd to chant “take it off,” as Seven pulled the wig from her head and revealed a full head of straightened hair.

“We’ve got some beautiful hair under here,” Morris said. “But what are we about to do?” The crowd chanted again: “Take it off.”

“She’s gonna cry, y’all,” Morris said. “Make some noise for her. Going natural is a lifestyle — it’s not just a hairstyle; it is a lifestyle.”

Morris pulled a pair of clippers from the pocket of her copper‑colored parachute pants and ran them across Seven’s head. Several inches of hair fell to the floor. As she cut Seven’s hair, Vybe Dance Company performed Tyla’s hit “Chanel” in the area just in front of the stage.

After the initial cut, the hair was swept up and the hair show got underway — creative styles and fashions that spoke to the intention of the natural hair festival that has grown into one of the biggest in the Midwest.

A typical Frizz Fest crowd had sprouted between the start of the hair show and its conclusion, which featured Seven returning to the stage with a bald buzz cut. “I feel like such a weight has been lifted off of me,” Seven said after leaving the stage. She then collapsed into tears.

“People are going to see you crying like this and think you hate it,” Morris said as she consoled her. Seven shot up from Morris’ arms. “I will tell them that I love it,” she said. “I absolutely love it.”

Leslie Hughes of Frizzy By Nature, producer of Frizz Fest, stood smiling as the models walked through the crowd. “It’s hot, but we went through the rain last year,” Hughes said. “We are letting the edges show, we are letting the sweat drip, and we are letting the frizz out.”

Leslie Christian‑Wilson, a pioneer in the St. Louis natural hair care movement through her Diversity Gallery, felt the love. “I reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in a while — and made so many new friends and connections,” Christian‑Wilson said. “The smiles were infectious and it was just what my heart needed — pure love, happiness and joy.”

Her Diversity Gallery booth, manned by herself and her mother Rubina Patton, stayed heavy with traffic. “I want to thank Leslie and Val (Frizzy by Nature co-founder Valerie Hughes). The Frizz Fest team’s vision and commitment to our community is impeccable,” Wilson said. “And St. Louis, thank you for reflecting what our community is capable of achieving. We are so grateful and our hearts are so full.”

By the time R&B artist Kirby took the stage as the musical headliner to close out the event, Frizz Fest 2026 was in full effect. “I feel like I got some southern cousins out here,” Kirby told the crowd. She was right.

She found out for sure when she shouted out her home state. “They say Mississippi ain’t good for nothing but racism and backwoods,” Kirby said. “But I want you to know that if it wasn’t for Mississippi, you wouldn’t have the blues. And if you didn’t have the blues, you wouldn’t have jazz. And if you didn’t have jazz, you wouldn’t have hip hop.”

Backed by a full band, she performed a jazzed‑out version of her song “Thick and Country.” Afterward she remixed St. Louis rap star Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” with a taste of the blues – a perfect fit for the weather.

“People still came and showed out because of the feeling and the energy and the joy that you get in this space,” Hughes said. “When you are here, you are safe, seen and celebrated.”

The post Black hair and Black joy: 9th Annual Frizz Fest draws impressive crowd despite high temperatures appeared first on St. Louis American.