The 6th Annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival will be held May 20 and 21 at Riverfront Plaza, 300 S. River Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 11:00am to 8:00pm daily. The family friendly event is free to the public. It features blues, soul, R&B, gospel and Christian music, along with a Vendor’s Village, a judged Soul Food Cooking Contest and Pioneer Award for contributions to the Soul Food industry. Lawn seating so bring your chairs. VIP tickets that include food, soft drinks, photo ops are $25.00 per person. VIP tickets for two that include T-shirts, a free CD of “Now” by co-headliner Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and additional perks are $100.00. 

A Pre-party will be held on Thursday, May 18 at Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room located at 2733 North Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 7:00pm midnight. Admission is $30.00 and includes a Soul Food buffet and No-host bar. For more information call 225-802-9681 or visit www.brsoulfoodfest.com.

The stage lineup is expected to include Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and the Listening Room All-stars Larry “LZ” Dillon, Jim Masters and Ervin “Maestro” Foster, Kelton ‘Nspire Harper and the Motivational Band, Pastor Leon Hitchens, Owen Scott, Xavie Shorts, Kevin White, poet Sir AP, comedian Eddie “Cool” Deemer and country singer Susie Shepard, among others. Special guests to date include motivational rapper Priceless Lion from Nebraska, Gospel rapper Mike D’Kidd, and direct from Las Vegas headliner and old school R&B jazz singer Freddie B. 

The Soul Food Cooking Competition, highlights regional favorites from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Categories include Meats, Vegetable and Side Dishes, Breads and Desserts, Appetizers and Soups, Beverage and Ices. Criteria includes Presentation, Taste, and the Story or History behind each dish. Ten entrants in each category will be pre-selected by the Soul Food screening committee. Upon acceptance the entry fee is $20.00, $30.00 for walk-ups, if slots are available. Contestants need to bring enough food for six people the day of their judging. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category. Downloadable forms and additional instructions are available on the website. Vendor slots are also available. 

The Pioneer Award for contributions to the Soul Food industry will be announced closer to the date. Past winners include Joe Delpit owner of the Chicken Shack, Cynthia Green of Owen’s Grocery and Market, Ricky and Kawanda Griffin of Lizzie’s Restaurant and Miss Dee of D’s Southern Soul Café.