Allen said her booth, Delectable Delights Desserts, participates in the festival because it's a way to share her family's heritage with the community.
"I look forward to this every year because of the diversity in the crowd," said the woman who learned Southern staples such as peach cobbler and red velvet cake from her Mississippi-born grandmother. "It's a lot of work but worth it because it brings people together. I hope one day this (festival) will be as big as the Asparagus Festival."
Allen was one of dozens of vendors gathered throughout the Weber Point Events Center on Saturday afternoon for the daylong event. Merchants offered decorative T-shirts, shoes and artwork to the thousands who milled through the gates. While soul food is the focus, pizzas, lumpia and kettle corn were also available for snacking.
The event, hosted by the African American Art and Culture Community Center of San Joaquin County, also hosted a car show featuring lowrider Cadillacs, Lincolns and Oldsmobiles and various live musical performances throughout the day.
Twenty-year-old Sharde Norman of Stockton is a first-time festival attendee who came not only to nibble on some shrimp and fish but also to support her family. Norman's younger brother performed tai chi for the crowd in between jazz bands and funk singers.
The inclusion of diverse cultural elements is what makes the festival a celebration of the various ethnicities in Stockton, Allen said as she served up a portion of her "Millionaire's Delight Bar." The creation features alternating layers of crunchy pecans, tart cream cheese, decadent chocolate pudding and fluffy whipped cream.
Though she spent most of the eight-hour event in her 7-foot by 10-foot tent Saturday, Allen said she visits other vendors and makes a point to stop at the Serious Deep Fried Fish tent.
The booth, which is part of a catering company that has existed for about 35 years, had a line of at least 10 people for most of the afternoon.
Henry Muhammad held a wad of cash in his hand as he helped take orders. The bean pies and slow-roasted pork are staples of the menu, but Muhammad said the secret batter for the fried fish is what keeps customers coming back. "It's our best-seller, without a doubt. The fish we use is whiting or red snapper, but I can't tell you anything about the batter," he said.
The crispy exterior features hints of cayenne pepper and paprika, which is cooled by a creamy handmade remoulade that can be slathered over the finger-sized cuts.
Allen, who has participated in the festival every year since its inception, says she's already looking forward to next year's gathering. "It gets a little easier every time we do it because we know what to expect," she said. "I know I will need to make more of certain items next year."
