NEWS: Disney Is Bringing Back Celebrate Soulfully for Black History Month

Celebrate Soulfully is a special event at Disneyland and Disney World that highlights Black history, art, and more during the month of February! In the past, we’ve seen amazing entertainment, delicious food, and cool exhibitions during this celebration.

We’ve got some great news about this year’s celebration, which started this week!

Disney World

Over at Disney Springs, you’ll be able to enjoy a full lineup of Motown, pop, jazz, and R&B performers for free! You’ll also find a wide range of artwork throughout Disney Springs inspired by movies and shows like Soul and The Proud Family: Louder & Prouder.

Speaking of music, the American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT will once again be home to “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure”, the popular exhibit about the history of jazz in the United States and how this history inspired the movie Soul. This exhibit is back after a national tour.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Disney celebration without food! Dishes that are part of the celebration include the following:

The Soulfully Sweet Praline at the Ganachery in Disney Springs, which is inspired by Soul.
The Coffee Pot Gelato at Vivoli Il Gelato in Disney Springs, which uses coffee stout from the Black-owned Green Bench Brewing Company.
The Half-Note Float at Fife & Drum in EPCOT, which is also inspired by Soul.

We’re excited to munch on these new treats during the big celebration!

Soulfully Sweet Pralines from the Ganachery in Disney Springs

Disney will also be celebrating Black creators through a variety of events at Art of Disney in Disney Springs.

Throughout the whole month of February, you’ll be able to see art that celebrates the work of Disney legends like Bruce W. Smith, Marlon West, and Floyd Norman. On select dates, you’ll also be able to meet artists Timothy Adebule.

Artwork from films produced Bruce W. Smith from last year’s celebration

Bowes Signature Candles, which was founded by Jamaica native Dave Bowes, will also be having a special sale on candle making throughout Black History Month. You can find Bowes Signature Candles at Marketplace Co-Op and Days of Christmas, both of which are in Disney Springs.

Also, during the month of February, you’ll also be able to get Bowes Signature Candles at Discovery Trading Co. in Animal Kingdom!

Disneyland Resort

Over at Disneyland Resort, you’ll also be able to enjoy musical performances! At Disneyland Park, you’ll be able to watch “Celebrate Gospel”, featuring artists like Kierra Sheard, Sacred Groove, Johnathan McReynolds and Mali Music, the Singers of Soul, and local Southern Californian community choirs.

Celebrate Gospel will take place on February 19th (featuring Kierra Sheard; plus the Gospel group Sacred Groove) and February 26th (featuring Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music; plus the vocal group The Singers of Soul) at Disneyland Park.

Community choirs will also be part of the show on those Saturdays. These community choirs will perform from 3PM to 7PM on the Fantasyland Theater stage.

And families will get the chance to take part in crafts and enjoy snacks over at Troubador Tavern. There will also be a gratitude wall available as another special activity.

Looking for more live music? Downtown Disney will have you covered throughout February with live nightly entertainment. There will be “R&B, reggae, funk, Motown, jazz and Doo-Wop, plus Saturday afternoon Gospel performances.” Some of the groups you’ll get to see include “Island Reggae, Del Atkins and the LYFE Band, Midnight Hour, Philly Phonics, Forward Motion, StandardMel & Friends, Urban Music Society and LALA Brass.” And there will be a jazz pianist nightly at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.

You can also pop over to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa to hear jazz performed nightly in the lobby by The Mood Indigo Group.

When it comes to art, there will be plenty of that too including a live chalk-art installation each week created by Marcella Swett. There will also be art inspired by Soul, and art displays inspired by The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

There are also plenty of food options during the big celebration, including a wide range of Black-owned wines, spirits, and beers at Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian Resort.

You’ll also find creole cuisine at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, and appetizers at Hearthstone Lounge that features Cajun shrimp flatbread and more.

Post 21, which is a pop-up shop that features cool Black-owned merchandise curated by a mother-daughter team, will be returning to Downtown Disney! Wonderground Gallery, Pelé Soccer, and Lovepop also have Black History Month collections that’ll be offered all February.