The Cookout, An Art and Culture Festival hosted by The Golden Collab in partnership with SRP debuts next month! The first-of-its-kind festival is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 21 at SRP PERA Club Park in Tempe. Gates open at 1 p.m. and the event runs until 9 p.m.

The Cookout, An Art and Culture Festival is the brainchild Michael Jackson, founder of A Taste of Melanin, which is now in its third year. This event is a free community celebration of art, culture, food and STEAM.

The Cookout offers guests a full day of connection, creativity and culture, with live speakers and performances, food from more than 40 local vendors and food trucks, community drink activations and pop-up experiences, youth programming including a STEAM fair for youth and families, a three-on-three basketball tournament, a Spades tournament and other interactive games.

The specific event lineup will soon be announced. The Cookout is currently accepting vendors, sponsors, donors and volunteers.

“The Cookout is about creating space for the community to come together in a real way,” said Jackson. “We want families, creatives and neighbors to connect and experience culture beyond the screen. We designed this event to be accessible and welcoming for all and to serve as an experience rooted in community impact.”

The Cookout is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

To learn more, visit https://atasteofmelanin.org/all-events/the-cookout/. To reserve a space, visit https://eventbrite.com/e/the-cookout-tickets-1968997630918?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.