The 21st annual Taste of Soul Family Festival will return to Crenshaw Boulevard on Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing live music, food, local businesses and community resources to South Los Angeles.

The free festival will be held from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. along Crenshaw Boulevard between Stocker Street and Obama Boulevard. Presented by Bakewell Media and the Los Angeles Sentinel, Taste of Soul features three music stages and more than 200 vendors representing small and local businesses.

The Bakewell Media Sounds of the Soul Stage at Crenshaw Boulevard and Stocker Street will feature performances by Midnight Star, Switch, Thelma Houston, Brothers Igniting a Groove and other artists. Tony Cornelius, son of “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius, will appear with the Soul Train Dancers.

The Radio Free KJLH Music Stage lineup includes Grammy Award-winning singer Lucky Daye, Alex Isley and British singer-songwriter Daley. Gospel performers will take the stage at the Brenda Marsh-Mitchell Gospel Stage, located near Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards.

Food is also a major part of the annual celebration, with vendors offering dishes and desserts throughout the nearly three-mile festival route. Hundreds of booths will also feature businesses, retailers and community organizations.

Children’s World, presented by St. John’s Community Health, will offer games, educational activities and family health resources. Activities will include options for sensory-seeking and sensory-sensitive children, as well as free eye and dental exams.

Festivalgoers can also access free health screenings, testing, vaccines and health education throughout the day. Five first aid and cooling stations will be located along Crenshaw Boulevard.

Taste of Soul was founded by Los Angeles Sentinel publisher Danny J. Bakewell Sr. as a celebration of Black culture, music, food and entrepreneurship in South Los Angeles. Organizers estimate that the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees each year.

Admission is free and no ticket is required.

Metro’s E and K Lines provide access to the festival, with stations at Expo/Crenshaw, Martin Luther King Jr. and Leimert Park. Festival shuttles will also operate from designated parking areas from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

For information, visit tasteofsoul.lasentinel.net.