In 2005, the Urban Music Fest was created in response to the African American Quality of Life Initiative to create an experience in Austin, TX that lovers of R&B, Jazz, neo-soul, and gospel could enjoy. Founded by Donnie Little and Homer Hill, Urban Life Group was formed to organize the first festival to be held at the Town Lake Auditorium. April 8th, 2006, the first and only R&B festival in Austin kicked off concurrent to the Texas Relays. Urban Music Fest and the Texas Relays is Austin’s largest African American tourist weekend each year with over 60,000 visitors. Urban Music Fest derives from an Afrocentric perspective.
On the program you can find R&B music and its subgenres such as Jazz, Blues, and Hip Hop. Every lineup showcases local, regional and national artists. From Chaka Khan to Johnny Gill to Dru Hill, the Urban Music Fest has not missed the mark on highlighting true R&B artists. Each year UMF has a variety of food vendors, retailers, and service organizations. With over 9,000 attendees, the festival attracts a diverse population of festival patrons in a family-friendly environment. www.urbanmusicfest.com