Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The fourth annual Riverfront Soul Festival will take place Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 5-6, in Franklin, promising an emphasis on health and wellness, a worship experience, soul food and seafood, and a tribute to soul singer Frankie Beverly, an R&B and funk legend who passed away Sept. 10.

“It’s going to be a weekend to remember,” said Dr. Eric Majette, who is the chief organizer of the festival and also the senior pastor at New Life Church Global in Franklin.

The festival remains free and open to the public of all ages.

Majette noted that he is trying to reach the Hampton Roads area with the event, bringing them to Franklin.

SATURDAY, OCT. 5

Majette said that due to some budget cuts, the festival will be moving from three days to two days, but he explained that Saturday “is going to be a jam-packed day.”

Taking place at Barrett’s Landing Park, which is located at 100 Barrett St. in Franklin, the first day of the festival will begin at noon with a Health and Wellness Fair. 

Majette said Eastern Virginia Medical School will be on hand, along with some other organizations doing health screenings.

Financial literacy opportunities will be offered, and Majette also highlighted a Virginia Beach-based organization called Treasure Hunt that will be giving away brand new clothing, shoes and technology items.

Majette indicated that a collaboration of food trucks will be present.

The music festival will begin at Barrett’s Landing at 1 p.m. and will be hosted by Crystal Smith of WNSB Hot 91.1 FM.

“The main focus is the Frankie Beverly & Maze Tribute Band that’s going to be coming in during that, as well as several other bands, of course,” Majette said.

NPR stated in its obituary for Beverly that he was “a funk and R&B innovator, singer, songwriter, producer and founder of the band Maze.”

Among the other musical acts slated to perform Saturday are Jemmeni, 4 Tops Tribute Band, Phenomenal Sounds, Lazarus, DJ Eshorty, and the New Life Church Global Praise Team.

Majette said that musical genres represented will include Gospel, R&B and jazz.

In the event of rain, the festival will take place indoors on the Paul D. Camp Community College campus on North College Drive in Franklin.

SUNDAY, OCT. 5

The Riverfront Soul Festival Worship Experience will take place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday at New Life Church Global, which is located at 1101 Johnson Circle in Franklin.

Then the festival returns to Barrett’s Landing Park from 1-5 p.m. for the Soul Food & Seafood Food Truck Expo.

Vendors will be serving a diverse array of culinary offerings, including Mexican, Jamaican, Italian and American, and seafood, including steamed and fried crabs.

THE START OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FESTIVALS

Taking place the same weekend as the Riverfront Soul Festival is the second annual Homegrown Harvest Festival, put on from Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6, by The Hubbard Peanut Company, Commune Restaurant and River Road Farm.

A news release noted that the Homegrown Harvest Festival, which will feature ticketed events, will celebrate the bounty of food offerings found in Tidewater and Virginia and will benefit the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, the T2 Fitness Foundation and The CROP Foundation to further their missions and create new opportunities for student involvement with the Foodbank’s new Western Tidewater Branch in Franklin.

Venues for the Homegrown Harvest Festival will include The Hubs Vine, Goose Hill Farm and River Road Farm.

“We’ve got three great venues where we’re going to have ticketed events with chefs from all over Virginia and brands from all over Virginia coming,” Hubs Peanuts co-owner Marshall Rabil said. 

Then, he highlighted the Riverfront Soul Festival, noting that “what Eric has created is kind of a Health and Wellness Fair as well, which is completely free to the community where (they’re) doing health screenings, where (they’re) doing financial literacy. And we think that it will make sense as we progress to kind of combine the efforts and for Homegrown to be a part of doing something with food, with bringing our chefs and doing something potentially next year on Saturday in downtown Franklin that aligns well.”

Rabil said the Hubbard Peanut Company is beginning the relationship between festivals this year with some financial support.

Majette said, “We’re going to try to push his event as well, what they’re doing with Homegrown and just kind of get that relationship going.”

Rabil said the fact that the festivals are happening on the same weekend “is a good opportunity to start saying, ‘Hey, these are two great events, stay tuned for the collaboration of these events.’”

“It’s time to come together,” Majette said.