For Immediate Release

ToyBox Consulting & Management Presents Golden Hour Unboxed: A Free Cross-Cultural Celebration of Black Entrepreneurship at Bellevue Botanical Garden

Sunday, August 23, 2026 · Part of the City of Bellevue's Cross-Cultural Center without Walls · Aligned with National Black Business Month

Bellevue, WA — June 26, 2026

ToyBox Consulting & Management today announced Golden Hour Unboxed, a free, all-ages, cross-cultural evening celebrating Black entrepreneurship in Bellevue and across the Eastside. The event takes place at the Bellevue Botanical Garden on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with doors opening at 5:30 PM and programming through 9:15 PM.

Golden Hour Unboxed is one of twenty-seven Bellevue-based organizations producing more than seventy cross-cultural events citywide in 2026 through the City of Bellevue's Cross-Cultural Center without Walls (CCCWW) — a pilot program within the City's Diversity Advantage Initiative, anchored in the Diversity Advantage Plan 2025–2035.

The evening will be hosted by award-winning multimedia journalist Besa Gordon and feature live performance, storytelling from Black founders, a micro-pitching showcase, and a signature Sunset Toast aligned to the August 23 sunset. Catering is sponsored by Primo's Bellevue.

"This evening exists because the City of Bellevue chose to invest in the cross-cultural infrastructure our region has needed for years — and because so many Eastside founders, families, and friends said yes when we asked them to show up. Golden Hour Unboxed is not a celebration we attend. It's a celebration we build together." — Katoya R. Palmer, Founder, ToyBox Consulting & Management

The event has been endorsed by the NAACP State Area Conference (AOWSAC), the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, and SplashForward. Golden Hour Unboxed is free to attend and open to all ages.

Full program announcement coming August 1. Marking the start of National Black Business Month, a fuller program release with the complete lineup of performers, storytellers, partners, and the pitch showcase will be issued on August 1, 2026.

Event at a glance

What
Golden Hour Unboxed — a free, cross-cultural evening celebrating Black entrepreneurship
When
Sunday, August 23, 2026 · Doors 5:30 PM · Program 6:00–9:15 PM
Where
Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005
Who
Presented by ToyBox Consulting & Management; hosted by Besa Gordon
RSVP
goldenhourunboxed.com · free, all-ages, family-welcome

Save the Date — Public Asset

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About ToyBox Consulting & Management

ToyBox Consulting & Management is a Bellevue-based small business founded by Katoya R. Palmer, working at the intersection of community, equity, and execution. Katoya serves on the boards of three Bellevue civic institutions: the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, SplashForward, and The Sophia Way. ToyBox is one of twenty-seven local organizations awarded 2026 programming funding through the City of Bellevue's Cross-Cultural Center without Walls.

About the Cross-Cultural Center without Walls

The Cross-Cultural Center without Walls (CCCWW) is a pilot program of the City of Bellevue, funded through the City's Diversity Advantage Initiative. CCCWW supports local organizations in hosting events that bring people from different backgrounds together around shared intercultural experiences. The program is anchored in the Diversity Advantage Plan 2025–2035, the City's current ten-year DEI strategic plan, and traces its origins to the City's 2014 Diversity Advantage vision: "Bellevue welcomes the world. Our diversity is our strength. We embrace the future while respecting our past."

For program details, RSVP, FAQ, parking, and partner credits, visit goldenhourunboxed.com.

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Press Contact

Katoya R. Palmer · Founder, ToyBox Consulting & Management

katoya@toyboxconsulting.net  ·  goldenhourunboxed.com

For the full press kit — high-resolution flyer, brand assets, headshots, and interview availability — please email the contact above. A fuller program release will follow on August 1, 2026.