37-й фестиваль Stone Soul возвращается в парк Блонт в Спрингфилде

Stone Soul Festival returning to Springfield’s Blunt Park SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- The 37th annual Stone Soul Festival returns to Blunt Park, continuing a Springfield tradition that began as a neighborhood picnic in 1989. The event has grown into one of the largest African American festivals in New England. “It was held at Forest Park and it was an overwhelmingly successful event. It got so large until they had to move it to Blunt Park, our current location,” Stone Soul Festival Entertainment Coordinator Andrew Cade said. Jay Griffin brought the idea back from Texas to give Springfield a place to celebrate its culture and pride. “I think it was something that people really wanted to come together to show that community pride and keep the music and the culture continuing to move forward through the community,” Cade added. This year’s theme is “Our Culture, Our Music, Our Legacy.” The festival begins Thursday evening with “Karaoke in the Park.” Contestants will compete for a grand prize and show off their vocal talent. On Saturday, the annual parade starts at 11 a.m. at the Rebecca Johnson School and marches to Blunt Park. The day continues with “Springfield’s Got Talent” and live music into the evening. The weekend concludes Sunday with “Praise in the Park,” a morning of worship at 11 a.m. That will be followed by the free fish fry, courtesy of the Bay State Sportsman Club. The festival will include soul and jazz, local food and family fun as Springfield’s community celebrates its culture, music and legacy. Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.