The cupcakes were baked, brownies were boxed, grills were fired up and generators were humming.For many food truck owners and vendors downtown, Cincinnati Music Festival weekend was expected to be one of the busiest and most profitable weekends of the summer.Instead, some were left scrambling after the sudden cancellation of Cincy Soul Fest, a separate event organizers had promoted for weeks as a celebration of food, music, culture and Black-owned businesses.WATCH: Black-owned food truck owners react to the news of Cincy Soul Fest's abrupt cancellation Vendors scramble after Cincy Soul Fest cancelation during Music Fest weekendJasmine Davis, owner of Sweet Jazz Treats Bakery, said the cancellation came after many vendors had already spent money preparing for the weekend.This weekend was supposed to be a top money-making weekend, not just for me, but other Black-owned businesses, Davis said. We were anticipating to make a good amount of money for this weekend so we could support our families.Davis said vendors received notice of the cancellation abruptly Thursday afternoon while many were still prepping inventory and buying supplies.For us to abruptly get that email saying Cincy Soul was cancelled ... it pretty much threw us completely off, Davis said.
Were losing out on thousands of dollars.The event was scheduled during one of the busiest weekends of the year downtown, alongside the Cincinnati Music Festival near Paycor Stadium.Organizers accused the City of Cincinnati of pressuring the private parking company hosting the festival into backing out.The city denied those claims.In a statement, city officials said the weekend had been closed to new special event permits since February because of heavy demand on city resources. Officials said organizers applied for a permit in May but were denied and continued promoting the event anyway.Organizers said the event would have remained under the attendance threshold requiring a special event permit because it was planned for private property without alcohol sales.City officials also cited unresolved safety concerns, including crowd control measures, fencing, generators and possible stage and electrical needs.In response to the allegation, City Manager Sheryl Long said, "Rules regarding special events, including permitting, exist for a reason. We need to make sure everyone can enjoy what Cincinnati has to offer in …
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