Get your bellies fired up for this year’s Taste of Soul

Taste of Soul , the largest, free one-day street and food festival in the state is happening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It's also the festival's 20th anniversary.

Located on Crenshaw Boulevard between Obama and Stocker, the festival showcases soul food culture and gives visitors a “taste” of the local Crenshaw community. It’s a big block party, a family festival where you can score soul food and catch a free concert or two to wash it all down with.

Stomach already grumbling with anticipation at the thought of all that glorious food? We hear you. Check out this year’s finest festival offerings below.

What to expect:

Founded by Danny J. Bakewell Sr., entrepreneur and executive editor of L.A. Sentinel, Taste of Soul was originally created to “uplift the community, provide economic opportunity, and offer a platform for Black-owned businesses and creatives through music, art and food.”

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More than 300 different vendors are slated to be a part of this year’s festival, with celebrities like Tiffany Haddish and Karen Clark Sheard, the youngest member of gospel group the Clark Sisters, expected to make an appearance.

Soul food to nourish body and soul

This year’s festival includes food vendors like:

• 2nd Healthy Eatery, known for its signature, flavorful twists on clean eating
• Uncle Artie's Chicken Wings, the “king” of gourmet chicken wings
• Smashin’ It Burgers offering juicy burgers
• Pucker Up, a lemonade stand with 100+ refreshing flavors 
• Casey Family BBQ with slow-smoked brisket and soulful home cooked sides
• 2 Scoops of Rice and More, specializing in Polynesian BBQ
• Time 2 Loaf Cobblers, offering sweet and savory cobblers
• Elaine’s Bread Pudding with hand-crafted bread pudding
• Grandma’s Butter Bunches, featuring gourmet puff corn

Get down with some legendary names

The Bakewell Media Stage is bringing the funk this year, with performers including Cameo, Rose Royce, the Mary Jane Girls, MAJOR, Biscuits & Gravy, Faleisha and spoken word artist and educator Torrence Brannon Reese.

Over at the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage, you can expect gospel and sacred music. Performers include DJ Count, the California Worship Center, Roman Collins, Kesha Ealy, Di’Antay Smith, the L.A. Inner City Mass Choir, Yolanda Harris-Dancy, Derrell & Terrell Brittenum, the Zion Messengers, John Bernard & the ND Choir, Traxx, Geneen White and Jason McGee & The Choir.

Ready to get going? Get access to this year’s lineup, other handy info and more at the Taste of Soul’s website here.