Crenshaw Boulevard is about to feel like a family reunion. The 21st Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival takes over Los Angeles tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, from 10 AM to 7 PM — and as always, it is completely free.
Presented by Bakewell Media and the Los Angeles Sentinel, Taste of Soul stretches along Crenshaw Boulevard from Obama Boulevard to Stocker Avenue, turning one of the most historic corridors in Black Los Angeles into a full day of music, food, culture, and community. Founded by Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., the festival has grown into one of the largest one-day events in the city, with more than 350,000 people expected this year and more than 200 vendors lining the boulevard.
The music alone is worth the trip, with three stages running all day. The Bakewell Media Sounds of the Soul Stage at Stocker and Crenshaw brings the legends: MAJOR. performs at 1:40 PM, Thelma Houston at 3:30 PM, Switch at 4:20 PM, and Midnight Star closes the stage headlining at 5:30 PM, with Tony Cornelius and the Legendary Soul Train Dancers keeping the spirit of Soul Train alive. The Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard features Deitrick Haddon at 5:40 PM, hosted by MAJOR. Over on the Radio Free KJLH Stage, the new school shines with Lucky Daye, Allen Stone, Tone Stith, Joyce Wrice, Alex Isley, Daley, Jenevieve, Terisa Griffin, Gavyn Rhone, Rick Dorn, and the Radio Free Voices Choir.
Taste of Soul is about far more than the stage. Children’s World, presented by St. John’s Community Health, offers free eye and dental exams for kids along with sensory-sensitive activities for families. Throughout the festival grounds, attendees can connect with health and wellness providers, financial institutions, and job information — real resources served up right alongside the celebration. The Art Pavilion showcases eight artists and two art houses, including celebrated artist David G. Brown.
And of course, the food. More than 200 vendors mean soul food favorites, local restaurants, and small businesses from across Los Angeles serving the community that built this festival into a tradition.
Getting there is easy — Metro’s E and K lines both stop right at the festival. Admission is free, the energy is unmatched, and the whole day is a love letter to Black Los Angeles.
CBS Los Angeles, one of the festival’s media partners, has a quick look at what’s in store:
Twenty-one years strong, Taste of Soul remains proof of what happens when a community celebrates itself — joy, opportunity, and unity, all on one boulevard. See you on Crenshaw tomorrow.
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