VibeFest makes debut at Bartlett Center, celebrates St. Joseph community

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- VibeFest made its debut this week at the Bartlett Center, offering a weekend of fun to all of St. Joseph's diverse culture and spreading some good vibes throughout the community.

Organizer Janiasha Williamson says she was raised in St. Joseph and wanted to create an event that mirrors the festivities during Juneteenth, but one that is all-inclusive to different cultures.

"I wanted to bring a vibe back to our community that actually includes everybody, every culture, every religion, every walk of life," Williamson said. "Currently we only have Juneteenth, which we all love, but people wanted more of that. We're going to try to have something every month during the summer."

Festivities included food trucks, sporting events, a parade, and a vendor fair that shined a light on smaller businesses owned by both children and adults.

Williamson also says she wanted to create a sense of unity and community with this event and establish an annual festival that St. Joseph can look forward to.

"Unity, that's the biggest thing that we want to work on," Williamson said. "We all are pretty much a product of this Bartlett Center. Many of us are here, so we want to bring the community back and wrap our arms around some of the things we see going on here that we want to help come back to the forefront."

VibeFest will wrap up on Sunday with a ceremony to recognize hometown leaders.