One could almost hear Askari Sowonde breathe a sigh of relief as a Solano County health inspector gave her stamp of approval about 90 minutes into Saturday’s first “One Love Festival” along the Mare Island waterfront at the Coal Sheds.
“Just some little things,” Sowonde said, mustering enough energy to smile gratefully.
Though “One Love” was mostly funded by Southern Land and the Nimitz Group, the longtime Vallejoan had credibility at stake. Cruising through the inspection was another step toward success, with nearly 30 merchandise and food vendors, dance and music acts — and mild temperatures — giving Sowonde hope for the festival’s future.
“I feel good,” Sowonde said. “I feel a whole lot of weight off my shoulders. One of my problems is that I’m a perfectionist. I worry a lot. But I’m really excited. We’re doing good, especially with COVID and all the things on the news. I’m just blessed people are coming.”
Sowonde said there’s always the No. 1 concern — “Is anybody going to be here? Are they going to show up?” — and her frown turned upside down as ticket buyers streamed in.
“I put that concern out of my mind,” she said. “I just want people to have a good time and I want to feel like I’m doing my best.”
Sowonde was admittedly a ball of nerves all night and until the music began.
“I felt better after seeing people getting up to dance and people going to the vendors, paying money and buying their products,” Sowonde said. “That’s exciting for me. And having my friends show support. That’s really exciting.”
Beyond the food vendors and stage performances, Hinton Barber and Beauty College offered free cuts for seniors and students and that was just fine with stylist Julius Weatherford.
“I like this event a lot. It’s clean. I like the unity of it,” said Weatherford, 27. “We need this more than ever, this face-to-face interaction. We need the unity down instead of being stuck in the past.”
To some fans sitting comfortably in the shade, it’s all about the tunes.
“I love live music and this seemed like such a variety of what they were going to have here. I love reggae and it’s rare I get to hear it live,” said Jeanne Hillyard, with her husband, who declined to provide his first name, acknowledging that “I’m all for music in Vallejo and supporting the local happenings It’s great to get back out to see bands and have some fun.”
San Francisco’s Katy Sue was out to watch her Vallejo friend, Marissa Head, participate in the opening interpretive dance routine.
The festival “is really cool,” she said, awaiting her Cajun fish food truck order. “During COVID, everyone was so separated. This is really nice that everyone is out here supporting local vendors.”
Offering different genres of music and different types of cuisine is the only way to go in Vallejo, believes Sowonde.
“We’re a community that has different cultures. It’s important to have something for everyone,” she said. “You can’t have food that’s only for one group of people.”
Cynthia Grady hoped to sell some of her Afro-centric apparel behind her “Our Pride/Our Style” two-year business. An hour into the 1 to 8 p.m. event, she was satisfied.
“I think it’s awesome. It’s great. The community needs this,” Grady said. We need this. It’s the first one and hopefully, we’ll have more.”
It was Grady’s first community event selling her wares.
“I think we’re going to do OK. It’s a good Saturday. Definitely, every year,” said the 30-year Vallejoan, believing the city is slowly getting better “and this helps.”
The “One Love Festival” was hosted by Mario Saucedo, executive director of the Solano AIDS Coalition, with music including Alvon Johnson, Sharday, Tracy Cruz Band, Lemo Live Reggae, and Nzuri Soul.
“Living in Vallejo 20 years, I want the best in my town and unify people and I think this is very good,” Saucedo said. “We need to keep going with this. This (The Mare Island waterfront) is aside a lot of people haven’t seen.”
As the producer of various Cinco de Mayo and other downtown Vallejo events, Saucedo said he understands the difficulty in launching an event.
“The first one is the hardest. Then the second one is easier and then it’s OK,” he said.
Sowonde expects a “de-briefing” meeting with Sheryl McKibben of Southern Land next week.
It’s too early to determine if there will be “The Second One Love Festival,” said Sowonde.
“But if they ask me to do it again, I’ll say ‘Hell yeah!'”
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Smooth sailing for first ‘One Love’ festival in Vallejo - Vallejo Times-Herald
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