“I believe this will be a banner year,” says musician and recording artist Henry Turner Jr., founder of the Baton Rouge Soul Food Fest. It holds its fifth annual celebration this month downtown on River Road. “We’re gonna fire with both barrels.”
Held May 14–15 along the Riverfront Plaza, the event features a weekend of live soul, blues, gospel, R&B and spoken-word performances from the likes of Lisa Harris (performing a Tina Turner tribute), blues and rock performer Owen Scott, soul musician Kasey Ball, Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor and others. Popular bluesman and Grammy nominee Kenny Neal is Sunday’s headliner.
A variety of authentic soul food dishes—chitterlings, stewed and braised meats, greens, yams and fruit cobblers prepared by local restaurants, home cooks and caterers—will be available for sampling.