Courtney Kelly’s Celeste Paves the Way gets a boost at Essence Fest

Self-published author and civil engineer Courtney Kelly used the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans to spotlight her new STEM children’s book, Celeste Paves the Way. Nearly 100 copies sold in three days as the book, booth design and festival appearances expanded visibility for Kelly’s growing brand.

Why it matters: - The ESSENCE Festival gave Courtney Kelly Books a high-profile sales and visibility platform for a new children’s title aimed at introducing kids to engineering and aviation careers. - Nearly 100 copies of Celeste Paves the Way sold in three days, showing strong audience interest at one of the country’s best-known Black cultural events. - The festival exposure also supports Kelly’s larger push to build awareness for STEM-themed books, merchandise and speaking engagements.

What happened: - Self-published author and civil engineer Courtney Kelly launched Celeste Paves the Way during the week of the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans. - Kelly used her booth in WeLoveUs The Marketplace, a shopping area for emerging Black-owned businesses, to center the book’s aviation and travel themes. - Kelly also appeared in multiple festival activations, including ESSENCE Authors, New Voices Village and the WeLoveUs The Marketplace Stage. - Video from Kelly’s speaking engagements was recorded and is now available on YouTube.

The details: - Celeste Paves the Way follows Celeste, a young civil engineer working on a new runway in Atlanta to replace aging infrastructure and support larger aircraft. - The book shows readers how airport runways are designed and built while highlighting aviation careers and honoring aviation pioneers. - Kelly’s booth used travel cases as a checkout counter, a propeller-shaped clock on a bookshelf, and a pilot’s hat and goggles beside a tribute banner on aviation trailblazers. - Kelly and her team dressed as pilots, flight attendants and passengers to add to the booth’s presentation. - The book was also stocked in the ESSENCE Authors area, which helped drive sales. - Community Book Center, a New Orleans bookstore and this year’s official bookseller, handled books in the authors area. - Kelly gave an ESSENCE Authors interview titled “From New Orleans to the Page: Engineering Dreams and Telling Our Stories.” - In New Voices Village, Kelly took part in a 40-minute founder feature, a founders wall feature and a product display for Courtney Kelly Books. - On the WeLoveUs The Marketplace Stage, Kelly joined the panel “From Story to Streams: How Black Women Are Turning Narrative Into Income” with Anayo Awuzie, Aisata Diallo and Imani Garner. - Kelly also took part in two founder showcases to discuss why she became an author and how her work is intended to pave the way for others. - Celeste Paves the Way was released June 30, 2026, with a 32-page hardcover priced at $19.99 and ISBN 979-8-9903082-6-8. - Courtney Kelly Books said the title is part of a broader catalog that includes Celeste Saves the City and Celeste Tunnels Underground.

Between the lines: - Kelly’s festival strategy blended product launch, live selling and stage appearances, turning ESSENCE into both a retail moment and a brand-building campaign. - The booth design and method dressing reinforced the book’s educational message, making the STEM theme visible before attendees even opened the book. - The ESSENCE placement matters because the festival is built around culture, community and Black-owned business discovery, which can amplify an independent author far beyond a standard bookstore launch.

What’s next: - Courtney Kelly Books plans to continue with international awareness campaigns and upcoming speaking engagements. - Kelly is directing readers to follow Courtney Kelly Books on social media and subscribe for updates on future appearances. - Kelly’s broader platform includes school and organizational visits, workshops and consultations tied to the Celeste brand.

The bottom line: - ESSENCE Fest gave Celeste Paves the Way a strong launch, and Kelly is now turning that momentum into broader sales and audience growth.