Taste of Soul Family Festival returns to LA Saturday

CRENSHAW DISTRICT, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Soul can hit you in the ears and it can hit you in the mouth, but this weekend soul will be hitting on all cylinders.

The Taste of Soul Festival is slated to roll back into the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles for its ninth year Saturday. Organizers set up a mini-version of the festival for the media Friday.

Founder Danny Bakewell says since the festival started back in 2005, it has grown tenfold.

"Now it's from literally one end of Crenshaw all the way to the other," Bakewell said. "Last year, we had over 350,000 people."

With all those crowds, getting around the festival and finding your favorite food booth can be quite a chore. But if you have a smartphone, they have a solution.

"The app will let you know everything that is going on, where vendors are located," Bakewell said. "This is a time to come out and really enjoy. Bring your families, you get food, you get entertainment, but you get a sense of appreciation for how great this community is."

Four stages will host dozens of performers like hometown favorite AKNU.

"It's an honor because we're usually in the audience watching so now we get a chance to give back," said Marquis Scott of AKNU.

And make sure you go to the festival hungry. Organizers say diets should be checked at the gate.

For more information on the 9th Annual Taste of Soul, visit http://tasteofsoul.org/.