Entertainment
Let the Good Times Roll Fest to offer more versatile lineup
The 27th annual Let the Good Times Roll Festival will kick off June 21 in Festival Plaza. The three-day celebration of African-American culture will have the full gamut of entertainment, art and food with local favorites and nationally known performers lined up to take the stage.
Let the Good Times Roll was recently named a “Top 20 Event” for 2013 by the Southeast Tourism Society and has more than 30,000 guests attend annually. Moss said it takes a great deal of hard work putting the festival together each year, but the big picture always pays off.
“Rho Omega & Friends is a 501(c) (3) nonpro t organization that provides scholarships for young African-American males to go to school, which has been done [through the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity] for 90 years,” he said. “At one point in time, the [fraternity] brothers were giving money out of their pockets, but with Rho Omega & Friends, we’re able to have more of an outlet to give.” The family friendly event, presented by Rho Omega and Friends Inc., will have both stages offering live entertainment simultaneously for the rst time in festival history. “This will be our rst year to be running both sides [of Festival Plaza] at the same time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said Fred Moss IV, Rho Omega and Friends chairman. “So we will have bigger and more entertainment for all our guests.”
Highlights of the musical lineup include regional favorites Windstorm, Alter Ego and Mark Scroggins, while headliner Juvenile is in company with other performers such as Mystikal, Biz Markie and Cupid. Also in attendance this year is a local band who Moss thinks will add a new dynamic.
“We’re adding a little different avor to the festival this year,” Moss said. “I had the chance to hear a band called Dirtfoot several months ago, and I really [became] a fan. So those guys will be performing Sunday afternoon. I think it’ll bring a new look for us; they have a big following in [Shreveport/ Bossier].”
Other artists playing are zydeco stars Chris Ardoin and Nustep and Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band.
Festival-favorite Cupid, in addition to playing the stage, will add some fun to the health and tness event that takes place Friday morning.
“Friday morning from 10-2, sponsored by the Caddo Commissioner, there’s a ‘get t’ program for the kids,” Moss said. “This year, [however], we’re asking the parents to come out as well. Cupid will be out there to promote his new workout DVD with the kids to do the Cupid Shuf e and get them active. It’ll be a different twist to everything.”
The Cupid Shuf e will come in handy when patrons get a taste of classic festival foods like alligator and chicken on-a-stick, corndogs, cat sh, snow cones, turkey legs and a specially made drink just for the event.
“A lot of the folks come out just for the turkey legs,” Moss said. “One thing that has really been a hit has been the Que Brew. It’s a specially made alcoholic drink just for the festival that the frat brothers make.
“This year, we are expecting over 50 vendors, but we’re looking to get more because we’re [utilizing] the other side of the plaza as well,” Moss said.
With funds raised from the festival going to helping children in the community, Rho Omega and Friends Inc. is able to create programs like Project Manhood.
“We partnered with AEP/SWEPCO to have 20 young males [either a junior or senior in high school] go through a mentoring program, where they go to a six-to-eightweek ACT tutoring program through Sylvan Learning Center,” Moss said. “The program is really for them to bring up their test scores. This is our second year to do it.”
Moss said giving back to the community is the motivation to make the festival a success year after year. He hopes it can keep growing to become a bigger name in the Ark-La-Tex region but also to reach more children in a positive way.
“It wouldn’t be a festival without the fraternity brothers of Omega Psi Phi Inc.,” he said. “The thing that motivates me the most is when we see the pro ts and being able to help those kids. I do this to see the smile on their face.”
– Katie Ho
