Taste of Soul (TOS) has always been about community—peace, love and brotherhood as they are the bedrock of this family festival. This year, TOS celebrates 12 years of being the #1 festival in Los Angeles without incident. Taste of Soul attendees, affectionately known as TOS Nation, make this festival the success it is by keeping the peace.
“They just have so many vendors—so many vendors,” said a TOS attendee. “Different cultures, different food, different variety of entertainment.”
This festival is truly for everybody—yes, it celebrates and honors the best within the Black community but the hand of brotherhood is fully extended to everyone and everyone is welcomed. TOS has featured food vendors, entertainment and sponsors from all cultures, truly reflecting the melting pot that is California. This is California’s festival, where everyone can come out for an afternoon of good times.
The good times have been possible because TOS Nation follows the conduct that allows for an enjoyable experience. Over the past few years, Taste of Soul has developed a list of DOs and DONTs for the festival. These requests were carefully thought out to continue to promote Taste of Soul as a peaceful gathering.
So, what are the Dos and Don’ts of Taste of Soul? Here is the list of rules and regulations that keep everything safe fun:
DOs
*Bring plenty of cash for all the great food!
*Make new friends
*Be kind to everyone
*Be courteous
*Visit with all the vendors & sponsors
*Take lots of selfies
*Tweet and share pics & messages
*Eat, Eat, Eat
*Dance, sing and have fun!
*Fold up, stand back chairs ONLY
The Dos are fun, easy and most of TOS Nation engages in them automatically every year. Taste of Soul is about meeting each other over good food, listening to great music and getting information from countless sponsors, vendors, community organizations and city officials.
Just as there are DOS, there are DONTs, which is where community effort is truly needed and greatly appreciated. The DONTs eliminate elements that could be disruptive to the essence of the festival—peace. So, what should you be aware of for Taste of Soul:
DONTs
*No snakes
*No reptiles
*No hoverboards
*No pop ups (tents)
*No coolers
*No barbecue pits/grills
*No dogs/cats (only service animals allowed)
*No tables/chairs (only sand back fold up chairs)
*No umbrellas
*No wagons
*No alcoholic beverages
*No glass or metal containers
*No metal utensils
*No misc. sharp objects
*No blow-up furniture of any kind
*No littering
*No disrespect of others
*No hate or negative speech
When everyone works together to keep the rules, it works! TOS Nation is great when it comes to making this festival a success every year. TOS is going 12 years strong because these rules and regulations are respected.
This year, TOS is saluting the amazing legacy of Motown and its contributions to music, entertainment and culture. Motown and its artists have been staunch supporters of peace and love through incredible music and humanitarian efforts. Let’s make sure the 12th Annual Taste of Soul send the message out loud and clear—we are peace, love and brotherhood.
