The 2019 Soul Food Festival makes its annual appearance on Saturday, August 10. There will be music from Smooth Avenue and the Rocky Mountain Brass. Barbecue, gumbo, smoked turkey legs, fried catfish, pulled pork, shrimp po’boys, jambalaya, greens and of course mac and cheese are just a few of the culinary delights that will be found at the festival. The Soul Food Festival will take place at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian.
Shari Baber, Chairperson of the 2019 Soul Food Festival, said, My name is Shari Baber and I am the chairperson of the Soul Food Organization. I moved my family to Boise, ID in 1992 and owned one of the few businesses run by an African American woman. I joined the Treasure Valley Intercultural Association because I saw the need for diversity in my community. In 1994, the Soul Food Extravaganza was organized to showcase African American food and culture. The Extravaganza ran successfully until 2013 and drew hundreds of thousands of attendees.Â
For many years after, the Lord laid it on my heart to recreate this experience for our community. I formed a committee of leaders in January 2018 and on August 18, 2018, we began the resurgence of the Soul Food Festival. With the help of our founding food vendors, Mr. BBQ, B & B Soul Food, Brown Suga Soul Food and Louisiana Soul Bayou, we were able to create an exciting opportunity engage with our community once again.
It is my sincere desire to allow the festival to continue to grow and leave a legacy for generations to come. This opportunity has allowed us to bridge the gap of cultural understanding with many of our partners in the Treasure Valley. My hope is that the Soul Food Festival will be a safe space to foster understanding and cultural awareness over a good meal and great music.
Food vendors at the 2019 Soul Food Festival  will include Mister. BBQ, B&B Soul Food, Big Daddy’s BBQ, Brown Shuga Soul Food, Louisiana’s Soul Bayou, Crawford & Co. BBQ, Taco Green, Mad Mac and the Jamaican Food Spot. A full list of vendors, sponsors and groups participating in the festival can be found on the event website here. Sweet tea (a Southern staple), lemonade, water and soft drinks will also be available for purchase. In addition, many delights such as hot dogs, shaved ice from aloha Ice Tropical Sno, rolled ice cream, sweet watermelon slices and even Asian Tacos can be found at the 2019 Soul Food Festival.
Smooth Avenue, who is performing at the Soul Food Festival, is a perennial music favorite in the Treasure Valley. Playing blues, rock, Motown, R&B and soul, Smooth Avenue will always please everyone. The Boise Beat profiled JT Tyler and Smooth Avenue here. Music and soul food have always been intertwined, so the music at the Soul Food Festival is a natural. Over the years, songs like Custard Pie Blues by Sonny Terry, Grits Ain’t Groceries by Little Milton, Soul Food by Goodie Mob, Fried Chicken by Nas T featuring Busta Rhymes, Ain’t No Greens in Harlem  by the Vibrations and No Okra in my Gumbo by Paul Jennings are just a few of the tunes written about soul food. Jambalaya, barbecue, biscuits and gravy, chitlins  and apple pie all have had songs written about them.
There will also be a raffle available with numerous prizes. Raffle tickets are available for purchase at the 2019 Soul Food Festival. The 2019 Soul Food Festival takes place on Saturday, August 10 from 11am to 8pm. Admission is free. The event will be held at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park, 1900 N. Records Ave., Meridian, ID 83646
2019 Soul Food Festival Website
Soul Food Festival Facebook Page
Smooth Avenue FacebookPage
All photos by Ed Simon except JT of Smooth Avenue by Terry Welch. Soul Food Festival graphic courtesy of Should Food Festival
