With Roots Fest, Roots of Brasil to bring block party to downtown

Roots of Brasil is holding a big party to go along with marking two years in business.

The downtown restaurant will host Roots Fest from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in its parking lot at 201 N. Weber Ave. Admission is free.

Co-owner Mark Gillespie said the event will feature street food, a beer garden and live music.

“We’re looking at this to be the first of many events,” Gillespie said. “It is for all ages, all walks of life and just another big cultural celebration with food and music.”

Gillespie said as the restaurant enters its third year, “we wanted to do something off-script and special.”

The event will feature gourmet street food.

“Definitely food easy to walk around with,” Gillespie said. “We have four really fun bands lined up for the day as well.”

The food tent will be set up in the parking lot, along with games, Gillespie said. One of the sponsors, Dakota Alliance Soccer Club, donated a giant ground-level pool table with soccer balls.

“My daughter is a goalie for the soccer club, and we’re also going to have a goal set up where people can take shots,” he said. “People who score can win prizes, and we’ll be donating that money back to the soccer club.”

Artists performing at Roots Fest include Landon Weis, Tuff Roots, Bella Kumagai and Matt Wellert, and Neon Horizon, which Gillespie plays in himself.

“We got permission to close the street in front of us to make it safer too. We want it to feel like block-party vibes.”

Roots Fest also teamed up with the Multi-Cultural Center, Gillespie said.

“We’re trying to be mindful of a lot of different events going on downtown too,” he said. “We hope people hop around, check us out and see some really good entertainment.”

The event is near the 605 Made Night Market, which runs from 3 to 9 p.m. at Sixth Street and Phillips Avenue.