ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) — On September 21st, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) held their first ever Soul Fest. With nearly 1,000 attendees, it’s safe to say it was a success.

Soul Fest was able to draw attendees from thirty-one different counties in New York state, seven states overall, and three countries, meaning the audience provided a range of backgrounds to give a taste of Ithaca’s new music festival to.

“Some of the attendees referred to Soul Fest as the best GIAC event they’ve experienced. Others stated it was captivating, and large groups stayed to experience it the entire day. The positive feedback from the security provider, Amric Associates, who noted that this was one of the most well-organized and run events they’ve worked on, reassures the audience of the event’s safety and organization,” says organizer of Soul Fest and GIAC’s Deputy Director Destiny Brown-Hernandez.

A celebration of the history and culture of soul music, the festival was able to honor the genre with performances from local, national, and international artists.

“Many agreed that it was a break from life’s stressors and political polarization and a great time to connect with other community members and stated that this festival had one of the most diverse crowds and that they saw faces that they rarely see at other festivals. Some folks indicated that they were impressed with the vastness of the festival and the variety of soul music subgenres.”

The environment created by Soul Fest was much the same for the artists who performed there.

“The artists were deeply touched by the exceptional experience, from the moment they received the invitation to the final bow on stage. They were profoundly grateful for the warm hospitality and the overwhelming love and support from the audience. The artists’ expressions of gratitude for the hospitality and the crowd’s love were truly heartfelt.”

Going forward, Brown-Hernandez and GIAC are setting goals to be sure that Soul Fest can reach even more people.

“We aim to have an even greater impact by featuring even more popular artists and extending the festival over additional days. Our goal is to significantly increase attendance, potentially doubling or even tripling it by 2025.”

To learn more about GIAC and what they offer throughout the year, visit their page on the City of Ithaca’s website here, as well as their Facebook page here.