Viva Florida 500 GreaterJax™ is a series of occasional pieces about Florida history and this year’s celebrations of 500 years of same in and around northeast Florida.
If you like old-school, home-cooked Southern soul food, Green Cove Springs is the place to be on Sat., Oct. 5.
Say hooray for the 12th Annual Green Cove Springs Soul Food Festival and Pride Parade.
Co-sponsored with the City , the Festival is free and open to the public – as always.
And isn’t it nice to see the City back a smaller event put on by local folk who want to throw a big party.
Good for the Cove and many thanks to the other sponsors as well.
Even more big news – the grand finale of this year’s festival is a FREE showing of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ courtesy of the Clay Theatre.
Parade of Pride
The 12th Annual Soul Food Festival kicks off with the Parade of Pride at Noon.
The parade forms at the Clay County Administration and runs south on Palmetto, then west at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd to Vera Francis Hall on the south bank of Governor’s Creek.
As you’d expect, there will be marching bands from local schools like the Green Cove Springs Junior High Cougars and Keystone Heights
All kinds of people participate – local motorcycle clubs, horseback-riding clubs, as well as art cars and floats sponsored by more and more different local groups than you even knew existed.
Don’t kid yourself – It’s all about the food
Think of the parade as exercise and follow it to the food.
You’ll need it.
Deep-fried, deep-smoked ribs and brisket and pork chops and chicken chased with potato salad, real homemade mac-and-cheese, greens cooked the old Southern way and sweet potato pie.
No wonder St. Vincents and Orange Park Medical sponsor booths.
Pile your take-out plate high.
The money goes to good causes.
And then there’s entertainment
The big shows this year are Glenn Jones, R&B star known for his hits ‘Show Me,’ ‘I've Been Searchin’ (Nobody Like You),’ ‘Here I Go Again’ and many more.
Opening acts include Hip-Hop’s Royale and R&B diva B.DeVINE
Besides the soul music those waiting to eat and those eaters who are resting between plates can look forward to:
- The Soul Food Festival Softball Tournament
- Sweet Potato Pie Contest
- DJ Sound-Off
- BBQ Rib Contest
- Slam Dunk Contest
- Horseshoe Tournament
- Kids Area, Health Booth, Flag Football, Arts & Crafts & more
And parking is free, too.
C’mon, you know your cholesterol number is too low.
That’s just not healthy.
12th Annual Soul Food Festival & Parade
- Sat., Oct. 5, 11 a.m.- 7:30 p.m.
- Vera Francis Hall Park
- Green Cove Springs, Fla. 32043
- Contact: Felecia Hampshire
- E-mail: carimenia@aol.com
- Phone: 904-622-7903
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OFFICIAL BIO: K Truitt is a second-generation, native Floridian born in Jacksonville. Truitt worked in public higher education for 25 years and knows newspaper publishing, printing and graphic design. Contact: kt.4examiner@yahoo.com
