CURLFEST is back this weekend celebrating natural beauty

NEW YORK -- CURLFEST 2023 is coming back this weekend following a three-year hiatus. 

CURLFEST deems itself as one of the world's largest natural beauty festivals. The day-long event features art and music and it's a learning experience about natural beauty.

This year's theme is called, "The Bounce Back."

"This year is really special. We've been through a lot as a community, as a world, so the 'bounce back' theme is really about making sure that we come back," Simone Mair, co-founder of Curly Girl Collective & CURLFEST, told CBS New York.

"This is going to be the biggest reunion in Curl history," added Co-Founder Charisse Higgins. "We are so excited to hug on everybody, to dance and celebrate."

Their goal is to help women with naturally textured hair feel beautiful, celebrated and appreciated. 

"We have lots of beauty vendors, we have over 100 small business vendors that we're excited about. We have all of the music and food from all across the diaspora," Mair said.

Mair and Higgins have an interesting story dating back nearly 10 years. In college, the women and three others came together after seeing the increased need for embracing and growing the natural hair community. 

They've since visited schools, the armed forces and corporate environments to shift the conversation and show that beauty comes in a range of shades, shapes and textures. 

"There were smaller events that we did, and the demand was so great there were lines around the corner," said Higgins. "And we decide to meet the demand."

CURLFEST is happening this Saturday, July 15 from 12 to 7 p.m. on Randall's Island.