At the previous Street Fest, curator and creative director NOTBENJAMIN spoke about the direction of the festival, its partnership with Crispy Skateboards, and the lasting influence of Cotton Fest on his approach to building cultural platforms. Speaking in a reporting-style interview, he outlined how the event has grown and where it is headed.
NOTBENJAMIN explained that the collaboration with Crispy Skateboards developed naturally rather than through formal planning. “The partnership with Crispy happened so organically. I found my way here to this place and I was like, this is a special place, I need to host here,” he said. According to him, the space aligned with the vision he had for Street Fest and allowed the festival to exist in an environment rooted in skate and street culture.
He added that Street Fest was not originally intended to take its current form. “Initially it was supposed to be Underground, but it didn’t work out like that, luckily so, because we are able to do Street Fest today, and Crispy is a dope institution,” he said.
Looking ahead, NOTBENJAMIN shared his long-term plans for Street Fest. He said the goal is to establish the festival as an annual event, supported by smaller activations throughout the year. “I want Street Fest to get to a point where it happens once a year, and the rest of the year it’s Underground, Sessions, Tree Tops, all happening as activations building up to the big Street Fest every December,” he said. According to him, these events are intended to create continuity and keep the community engaged beyond the main festival.
NOTBENJAMIN also reflected on the influence Cotton Fest had on his journey. He described his time involved with the festival as formative. “I consider myself an alumni of the CottonFest university because I did my good five years there, every year, and big shoutout to Riky,” he said. He acknowledged the impact of the festival’s closure, adding, “I don’t want to say it, but it’s like RIP to CottonFest.”
Expanding on that reflection, NOTBENJAMIN spoke about the message the end of CottonFest sends to younger creatives. “It’s a sign for all of us young ones, everyone that’s able to, we must push. We have to operate something,” he said. He emphasized the importance of self-belief and initiative, stating that creators should continue hosting their own events regardless of available resources. “Whether we’ve got sponsors or nothing, we need to host it,” he added.
Through his comments, NOTBENJAMIN positioned Street Fest as part of a broader effort to sustain independent cultural spaces while drawing inspiration from platforms that shaped the current creative landscape.
