Treasure Valley residents celebrated African American culture on Aug. 12 at the Boise Soul Food Festival.
The festival will have a lineup of 42 food trucks, retail vendors, and local artists who will play live music.
Trish Walker, CEO and founder of the Idaho Black Community Alliance is the sponsor and organizer of the event and says she loves the energy of the event.
"The festival's purpose is to bring the community together, support small businesses, and give our Idaho community a taste of what soul food is and of black culture and the black community in Idaho."
The Soul Food Festival first started 20 years ago under the name Boise Soul Food Extravaganza, but the group running the event disbanded and was dormant for 15 years. The Idaho Black Community Alliance revived the event back in 2018 under the new name.
On top of having a large array of food vendors, this year’s event featured a STEM, Wellness, and Movement Village sponsored by Micron Technology. It also hoste d interactive workshops for all ages.
Organizers played old-school R&B and Hip-hop for the eventgoers escaping the heat under the tree canopy. Occasionally, a crowd would form in front of the stage, dancing to the music.
A food vendor Aunt Junes Jamrock Cuisine had a large line of customers. Owner Rose Robinson, an immigrant from Jamaica, ran the stand with her family. Everyone was working quickly to fulfill customer orders.
"Everyone loves food, and it's good to share Jamaican food," she says.
Robinson hopes to open up a food truck in the future.
