When the 2026 NFL Draft descends on Pittsburgh, downtown is not just rolling out the turf; it is rolling out tables. A new Cocoapreneur Market, built to spotlight Black-owned businesses, is slated to run alongside the Draft at the historic Pitt Building, giving local entrepreneurs a front-row seat to the city’s football frenzy.
Organizers say the three-day pop-up, scheduled for April 23-25 at the Pitt Building in the heart of downtown, is designed to steer some of that Draft-weekend foot traffic straight toward food vendors, makers, and retail sellers that are often left on the sidelines during giant national events.
The market is a joint project of the Greenwood Plan and Cocoapreneur. Their goal is to make sure historically underserved Black entrepreneurs can get in front of the Draft crowds rather than watching the economic boost pass them by. Vendor participation is set at $200 per day or $500 for all three days, and interested businesses were directed to apply through greenwoodplan.com, according to Axios Pittsburgh. Organizers say those upfront fees, combined with a rotating schedule of vendors, are meant to lower the barrier to entry for small operators while plugging them into what they describe as a rare moment of high visibility.
Where it will be
The Greenwood Plan bought the Pitt Building at 213 Smithfield Street in 2024 and has been turning parts of the property into an incubator along with the Emerald City coworking space. On the group’s Market at Greenwood Smithfield page, organizers lay out the pop-up plan and host the vendor application form for market spots, while also noting partnerships with Cocoapreneur and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. WPXI previously reported on the Pitt Building acquisition and the Greenwood Plan’s broader vision for an event and incubator space inside the property.
Why organizers say it matters
Organizers say timing is everything here. With the Draft expected to flood the city with fans, they see the market as a way to turn that surge into real sales and new relationships for local Black-owned businesses. VisitPITTSBURGH projects 500,000 6700,000 fans will come for the April 23 625 weekend and has already released renderings for a multi-site Draft campus that stretches across the North Shore and downtown.
“This isn’t about football,” Greenwood Plan founder Khamil Bailey said, stressing that the real play is making sure Black-owned businesses can “share in the economic windfall” that comes with citywide events, as reported by Axios Pittsburgh. Organizers say the market could double as a test case for how community-rooted businesses can reliably plug into major-event customers rather than being an afterthought.
How to participate
Vendors looking to get in on the action can apply through The Greenwood Plan’s market application, found on the organization’s “Market at Greenwood Smithfield” page, which includes a pop-up sign-up form and additional details about how the initiative works. Cocoapreneur, which operates a Black-owned business directory and programming in Pittsburgh, is partnering on curation for the market lineup. The Greenwood Plan lists its downtown office at 213 Smithfield Street and asks businesses with questions to reach out via [email protected].
Organizers say they hope the Cocoapreneur Market will help participating vendors turn one blockbuster weekend into long-term customers, while also offering a template for a more inclusive way to activate big-city events. We will update with a vendor lineup as organizers release more details closer to the Draft.
