GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Saturday’s Soul Food Festival will kick into gear long before the first batch of smoked chicken wings are prepared at Vera Francis Hall Park.

That’s because the 22nd annual event along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will start with a parade at noon that will start behind the courthouse on Palmetto Avenue and turn right only MLK Boulevard to the park. After that, patrons can enjoy a day filled with food, entertainment, music, vendors, crafts, children’s games, contests and dancing until 7 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Green Cove Springs: Southern Soul City Celebrations with a Focus on Mental Health Awareness.”

Felecia Hampshire is one of the festival organizers. She said with a forecast of perfect weather, her group expects a gathering of as many as 6,000 people. She said the community is why the festival continues to grow.

“Without our community, we could not have a festival,” she said. “So it’s the community who’s willing to come out and support us.”

She also said volunteers ensure success and growth.

“These folks, all of us work without any type of compensation or anything like that,” Hampshire said. “It’s the love for the community. It’s giving back. You always want to be able to give. My mom used to say, ‘A hand shut cannot receive or give,’ so we always tried to be givers. We want our community to be No. 1.”

Some of the scheduled entertainment will include Music Mogul Host Diddy Coffee, Royale904, DJ Reggie, radio personality The Dark Knight, Terrinika Solomon, The Real J-Truth, AO Radio, Remon and Rush Friends Wit Benefitz, Jaylen, Liz Owens, Vone, Toby, Psych4Zero, Christkidz, Soulfull Roots Band and Robb and Psalms of Worship.

First Federal Bank will sponsor the stage, Hampshire said. Other supporters include VyStar Credit Union, City of Green Cove Springs, Reinhold Corporation, Ace Hardware, Tocol Engineering, David Bright of Bright Minds, Van and Sandra Royal and Clarence and Felecia Hampshire.

A horseshoe pitching contest and a foam party will be new to the festival.

This year’s festival will be in memory of Erich Terry. The St. Augustine man was one of the most dedicated vendors and had been with the Soul Food Festival for more than 15 years.

Terry died in May, so organizers dedicated the title “Grand Marshal” to ensure his legacy perseveres.