Annual Festival Returns to Downtown Oakland August 2-3 ---

The City of Oakland’s Art + Soul festival is heating up with new activities such as a BBQ competition with top pitmasters from all over California competing for cash prizes blends. Also, a Funk & Latin Dance Party with top bands, including 2014 Grammy award winners Pacific Mambo Orchestra, will have festival-goers dancing in the streets.

Held in downtown Oakland August 2-3, the beloved festival promises two unforgettable days packed with live music and dance on four stages, beer & wine, great eats from popular food vendors, an eclectic artisan marketplace, art exhibits and the largest Family Fun Zone of any festival in the Bay Area.  

The festival starts Saturday, August 2, with a new BBQ competition where festival-goers are invited to catch the action as forty top professional pitmasters and backyard teams compete for cash prizes. Attendees can also feast on BBQ samples and vote for their favorite while savoring the aromas of sizzling beef, ribs, chicken and pork.

On Sunday, August 3, the festival kicks into a danceable groove with a huge Funk & Latin Dance Party on two stages.

Continuing Sunday’s dance party theme, a second stage will feature Pacific Mambo Orchestra (PMO), who won this year’s Grammy award for Best Tropical Latin Album. Leading the rebirth of the Latin Big Band sound, the 19-piece orchestra is directed by Mexican-born pianist Christian Tumalan.

Based in Oakland, Alta California is a 10-piece Afro-Latin supergroup that plays its own distinct genre of Rumba Esquina, a mélange of street music that includes Rumba, Flamenco, Afro-Cuban, R&B, Soul and hip-hop. Also on Sunday is a Hot Rod & Vintage Car Show featuring classic cars from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Every year, Art + Soul Oakland features hundreds of artisan and vendor booths as well as a diverse selection of food, a large Family Fun Zone with kid rides, carnival games, inflatable bouncers, arts & crafts and free admission for children ages 12 and under.             

Art + Soul Oakland 2014 takes place in downtown Oakland, centered in Frank Ogawa Plaza and City Center, encompassing 10 city blocks. Admission is $10 for Adults; $7 for Seniors and Youth (ages 13-17). For more information, visit ArtandSoulOakland.com or call (510) 444-CITY.