The Oxtail Off Goes National With A Five-City Tour Centering Caribbean Food And Community
Cue DJ Khaled’s “another one,” because Charles Beloved Productions is back, and this time they’re bringing the entire Caribbean massive with them. Charles “Beloved” Kuykendoll, the Houston-based event producer and […] The post The Oxtail Off Goes National With A Five-City Tour Centering Caribbean Food And Community appeared first on Essence.
Black News 
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Cue DJ Khaled’s “another one,” because Charles Beloved Productions is back, and this time they’re bringing the entire Caribbean massive with them.
Charles “Beloved” Kuykendoll, the Houston-based event producer and founder of Charles Beloved Productions, is taking The Oxtail Off on the road. His latest project is a five-city culinary tour and food competition built around the dish that has been holding our tables down for generations. The tour hits Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, and if you’ve ever had a plate of oxtail that made you close your eyes, you already know this one is for you.
This isn’t his first rodeo. He previously co-founded RNBHouseParty, the experiential brand acquired by Blavity Inc. in 2023, before turning his attention to The Oxtail Off. For Kuykendoll, this one runs deeper than the business. “Often overlooked communities turned what was once discarded into a delicacy through deep flavor, care, and intention,” Kuykendoll tells ESSENCE. “The world is finally catching up to what we knew all along.”
Kuykendoll and his wife and business partner Shireen, who runs operations as General Manager, have been building this from a 200-person house party into a 2,000-attendee festival at Bee Hive LA. Each stop on the national tour is its own experience. Local chefs come in with their own spice blends, family recipes, and regionally sourced ingredients, competing for the title of Oxtail Off champion in front of celebrity judges. The vendor markets and food truck lineups are pulled from small businesses in each city, representing the clothing, artwork, and flavors of that market. Each competing chef even selects their own intro music to represent their city’s sound. “We can’t wait to feel that energy live,” Kuykendoll says.
He’s not skimping on production either. The event features VIP lounges, live DJ sets, food trucks, and giveaways, anchored by a competition where someone walks away a champion. Kuykendoll calls the overall vibe the energy of a sporting event, the star power of a movie premiere, and the spirit of an HBCU homecoming all in one room.
Kuykendoll, a 2023 ESSENCE Power 40 honoree, has always made sure the community gets something back. Every city on the tour is paired with a local nonprofit fighting food insecurity, with more than $20,000 committed across the run.
“We want people to leave feeling that their culture has been celebrated,” Kuykendoll says. “That they experienced Carnival culture here in the US. That they found new chefs, restaurants, and organizations to support.” For Kuykendoll, it’s less about scaling an event and more about scaling a feeling that centers culture, community, and the stories behind the food.
Tickets are available now at eventnoire.com.
The post The Oxtail Off Goes National With A Five-City Tour Centering Caribbean Food And Community appeared first on Essence.
