In Central City, there are concerns about the community being a super-spreader of the delta variant following the death of local resident Brent Yonts, a former state representative, from COVID-19.
City recreation officials encourage festival-goers to wear a mask, but it is not required. The CDC recommends masks at crowded outdoor settings in areas like Christian County with high COVID-19 cases.
The owners of Vansauwa's Tacos and Vegan Eats organized the event to highlight Black food entrepreneurs on a weekend when many African Americans celebrate the emancipation of slaves during the Civil War.
On the stroll, Keller recounted how local churches nursed wounded Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, "Night Riders" burned three tobacco warehouses in 1907, the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses at six intersections in 1924 and more.