BY CINNAMON ROSA for WEEKLY VOLCANO 8/29/25 |
When you ask Mari Griffin why she pours her energy into building events that uplift the community, her answer is simple: “There was a need for space,” she says. Griffin, founder and director of the Black Night Market and now the driving force behind Tacoma’s upcoming Soulfull Festival, has dedicated the past several years to curating spaces where Black businesses, artists, and voices can thrive. This September, that vision takes center stage downtown as the Soulfull Festival returns—bigger, brighter, and tastier than ever.
Last year’s event was known as the “Soul Food Festival,” but Griffin made a subtle, powerful shift for 2025—a new name. “It’s called Soulfull because we have soul food, but we also have other food,” she explains. “I really want to change this narrative that soul food is just Black food. Anything that you make that you put your soul in, that has culture, that has heritage—that’s soul food.” The new title reflects an inclusive menu that stretches far beyond traditional Southern comfort staples. Alongside barbecue, fried catfish, shrimp and grits, and Creole classics, festival-goers will taste dishes inspired by Jamaican, Trinidadian, African, Hispanic, Asian, and fusion cuisines. Expect an adventure for the palate—from Philly cheesesteaks to jerk chicken, po’ boys to gourmet lemonade, hot dogs, gyros, and even tofu po’ boys for the plant-based crowd. Griffin admits vegan soul food is still tough to find in Tacoma, but she’s working to bring more options. “I push for each vendor to at least have a vegetarian option,” she says, noting that vegan hot dogs and burgers will also be on the menu.
Beyond the food, visitors will be immersed in a lineup of live music, dance, comedy, and community performances designed to stir both joy and reflection. Highlights include spoken-word artist and author Bonita Lee and vocalist Jaminah Shannon kicking off the day; performances by IMANI and JUA with soulfull melodies; a comedy hour with Boe Blast and SEA Comedy; the Vision Step Team bringing rhythmic energy to the stage; Grit City Cipher, an interactive hip-hop cipher open to all; and line dancing with Vibe Fitness and MixFit—“where them fans at?” “This event is really about celebrating food, music, and being in community,” Griffin says.
One of the festival’s most impactful goals is breaking down financial barriers that often keep small Black-owned food businesses from participating in major events. “There are a lot of barriers with Black food businesses. They have to pay the fire department, the city, the health department, and then us to be at these events. We started initiatives where people can donate so we can offer blanket permits to take away some of those barriers.” Last year, the festival featured 23 vendors but only three were traditional soul-food vendors, a number Griffin is determined to grow. Thanks to support from the Tacoma Black Fund, she has new resources to attract and support more local food entrepreneurs this year.
Griffin’s path to festival director wasn’t linear. She started out in fashion design, showcasing her work at local markets, but she noticed something troubling: very few Black vendors were present. “Black people made up about two to four percent of the vendors in these spaces,” she recalls. Determined to change that, she launched the Hilltop Indoor Market, which later evolved into the Black Night Market, a vibrant platform where, as Griffin proudly says, “99.9 percent of the vendors, performers, and food represent our culture.” The Soulfull Festival is a natural extension of this mission.
On top of running markets and festivals, Griffin recently stepped into another significant role—as Tacoma Poet Laureate. The honor came as a surprise. “When I applied, I didn’t know what it was. I just knew it was major,” she laughs. But her years of hosting poetry, music, and community events made her a natural choice. As Poet Laureate, Griffin will host workshops and projects that focus on creativity, healing, and equity. “A lot of my songs and my poetry are about healing, reflection, and affirmations. That’s what I’ll be doing with the community—affirming them, enlightening them, empowering them, and holding space for them to heal through creativity.” Her upcoming EP project, The Affirmation Junkie, combines music and poetry rooted in the same philosophy.
The Soulfull Festival is a declaration of Tacoma’s cultural richness—a gathering where diversity isn’t just represented; it’s celebrated. And with Tacoma’s newest Poet Laureate leading the way, you can expect the Soulfull Festival to be more than entertainment—it will be an experience that feeds both body and soul.
Soulfull Festival 2025 will take place Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 12 to 8 p.m., on Broadway between Ninth and Eleventh in downtown Tacoma. Admission is free. If you’ve ever needed a reason to celebrate community, culture, and creativity in one place, the Soulfull Festival is it. Bring your appetite, bring your dancing shoes (and fans), and bring the entire family. Tacoma is ready to serve up soul in every sense of the word.
