Editor's note: This clip is from Aug. 28, 2020

ST. LOUIS - Taste of Black St. Louis, a popular Black-owned festival that showcased chefs and restaurants throughout the Missouri region, will not be returning this year.

The event--now cancelled--was supposed to take place on Sept. 12-14 at Soldiers Memorial Plaza.

On Wednesday, Taste of Black St. Louis founder Aisha James said that funding was essential when it came to making the event possible. In 2024, Taste of Black St. Louis secured its first corporate sponsorship, which was a noteworthy achievement for the festival.

But because of widespread diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) cutbacks in 2025, many vendors chose not to participate in this year's festival, according to James.

She says these decisions from vendors made it "financially impossible to host the event."

Taste of Black St. Louis has hosted its festivals for the past eight years, and the gatherings have helped businesses, mentored Black and brown entrepreneurs, and created a community for those across the Missouri region.

"It has been a beautiful journey to witness these success stories and to be part of a movement that legitimized and elevated so many businesses in our community. While it is sad to see this chapter close, we understand that people have choices—and sometimes, we are not the chosen few," James said.

Businesses that registered for this year's event were given a refund.