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Soul Food Festival serves up food, fun, festivities on Oct. 1

By Don Coble don@claytodayonline.com
Posted 9/21/22

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The 21st Annual Green Cove Springs Soul Food Music Festival starts with a festive parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and ends with a day filled with music, games, …

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Soul Food Festival serves up food, fun, festivities on Oct. 1


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The 21st Annual Green Cove Springs Soul Food Music Festival starts with a festive parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and ends with a day filled with music, games, wares and, of course, a variety of foods to satisfy every tastebud.

This year’s grand festival starts at noon on Oct. 1 with the parade that ends at Vera Francis Hall Park at 1503 MLK Blvd.

From start to a 7 p.m. finish, the park will be filled with activities.

Wanda Cobbert’s first grade class from Charles E. Bennett will start the opening ceremonies by leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the presentation of colors by the Florida Youth ChalleNGe Flag Corp. Sylvia Howard will sing the National Anthem and the National Black Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

This year’s festival theme is: Mental Health Awareness’ “Get Help, We Care.”

Entertainment includes The Special Formula Band, Timotheos, Toby’s Steel Drums Karribean Flava, Royale904, and Gospel Hour, hosted by Bishop James Lee and Family. This year’s entertainment theme is: “Get up, Get down, Get Funky, Get Loose!”

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Weaver and WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Koko B. Ware will meet residents from noon to 3 p.m.

The festival was established by a group of community volunteers called BATCOP – Breaking Away The Cycle of Pain” in 2002. The event now draws up to 5,000 visitors each year.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Jason Taylor and the Queen of the Soul Food Festival is Lakeisha Singleton.

An array of other activities for children and adults includes a cornhole and Spades tournament, BBQ ribs and sweet potato pie contests, horses by Maria, dance contests, bounce houses and professional steppers.

According to the festival, there will be vendors from near and far, offering an array of mouth-watering country/Southern soul food and cuisines served with Southern hospitality.

The Greeks will come out and stroll to the music of D.J. Reggie and Entertainment will be presented by Diddy Coffey aka HOTTCOFFEY Entertainment.

For more information, visit gcssoulfood.net.