Two entertainment stages will inject a healthy dose of spirit and soul along Macdonald Avenue in downtown Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The 11th Annual Spirit & Soul Festival is set to enliven downtown with live R&B, soul, funk bands and local youth groups from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Held by the Richmond Main Street Initiative (RMSI), the event on Macdonald Avenue from Harbour Way to 13th Street will feature more than 40 artisan, food, and resource vendors, a youth zone, giveaways, prizes, dancing, and a Spirit & Soul Beverage Pavilion serving up refreshing Main Street Margaritas, hometown brews by East Brother Beer Company, wine, and more.
Musical acts include Pride & Joy, Top Shelf, But-tah & The Buttahluv Band and Kylah Dawn.
On the 12th Street Stage, there will be performances by the RPAL Music Program, El Cerrito High School Dance, Vocal Revoltion from Richmond High, and other youth groups. RMSI will also honor Downtown Champions who have contributed to downtown’s revitalization, including Adonna O’Sullivan and Dr. Animesh Sinha (Kaiser Permanente), Lucinda Bazile (LifeLong Medical Center), Charlene Smith (East Bay Center for Performing Arts), Bessanderson McNeil (Snazz Enterprises) and the Aparicio Family (Your Way Pizza). Past honorees include Betty Reid Soskin (National Park Service) and Janet Johnson (City of Richmond).
The Spirit & Soul Festival will have two Grand Marshals this year: Mayor Tom Butt (Main Stage) and Councilmember Ben Choi (12th Street Stage).
Admission is free to the festival, but there’s an option for a special VIP Experience (Eventbrite).
More event details, including band previews and a vendor list, are available at www.richmondmainstreet.org/
