The Feminist First Friday event, supported by First Friday Raleigh and organized by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance at The Grove in City Market, showcased over 30 local women-owned businesses, highlighting their services and products in celebration of the First Friday of Women’s History Month on March 1.

One of the event’s highlights was complimentary hair touch-ups so attendees could present themselves well in complimentary headshots. Maggie Leonhardt, the owner and co-founder of Hightide Salon, said they provided their services to show gratitude to the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. 

“They’ve helped us out with many events,” Leonhardt said. “They’ve promoted for us, and they do a lot for the downtown Raleigh community. So this for us is like the least we could do to repay back everything they’ve done for us.”

The event also served as an educational opportunity for Raleigh’s youth, providing valuable learning experiences. One of these educational stations was put on by the Marbles Kid Museum, titled “NASA’s real ‘Hidden Figures.’”

Britt Thomas, chief activation officer of Marbles Kids Museum, said their station focuses on educating the youth about the lesser-known female scientists and female innovators of the NASA program. 

“We’re actually focusing on female astronauts and female scientists of NASA this First Friday,” Thomas said. “We are talking about Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson. These were scientists or female innovators early in their day.”

Thomas said the museum’s initiative is to provide learning through fun.

“Our mission is to inspire imagination, discovery and learning through play,” Thomas said. “We’re training people to be astronauts like Mae Jemison.”

Additional educational booths focused on teaching about feminine hygiene and health. Jade Watta, coordinator of mobile mammography at UNC Rex, said that her booth concentrated on spreading awareness of preventative measures for breast cancer through mammograms.

“We have a mobile mammography unit go out and see women around North Carolina,” Watta said. “We provide them with free mammograms if they’re uninsured and underserved. … I’m here tonight just to bring awareness to breast cancer — to remind women that screening mammograms save lives.”

Also a part of the educational services was The No Woman, No Girl Initiative. The nonprofit organization aims “to ensure that no woman and no girl in Wake County, NC goes without everyday essentials and hope to survive a crisis or transition.” As part of their efforts, the organization accepted donations of menstrual hygiene products to assist those in need.

Dyamond Trimble, outreach coordinator for initiative, said their organization hopes to normalize conversations about menstruation.

“We do not want people to talk about period products or periods in general as if it is a weird thing,” Trimble said. “It is what our body does. It’s like using the bathroom. It is like brushing our teeth every day. That is something that we have to take care of ourselves. To close that gap between the awkwardness, it definitely advances that cause for feminism. So we can know and be educated … for all people to be educated about the cycle of our bodies, as a woman.” 

The No Woman, No Girl Initiative will hold a Women’s Day event March 16 at Longleaf Swine BBQ. Attendees will receive complimentary barbecue.