Leroy Robinson Southern Soul & Soul Music Festival: Featuring The Bar-Kays with Lakeside and other special guests

At The Lerner Theatre August 14th at 7:00pm

The Leroy Robinson Southern Soul & Soul Music Festival is excited to announce The Bar-Kays with Lakeside and other special guests, coming to The Lerner Theatre on Friday, August 14^th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the event will go on sale Friday, February 27^th, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Leroy Robinson Southern Soul & Soul Music Festival:

This is a special evening honoring the life, legacy, and community impact of the late Leroy Robinson, a respected civic leader and cultural trailblazer in Elkhart.

Robinson, who passed unexpectedly in 2022, was a founding figure of the Elkhart Chapter of the Indiana Black Expo, where he helped shape more than five decades of programming and community engagement. His dedication to public service extended beyond cultural leadership—serving 16 years as Elkhart’s Building Commissioner, co-founding the H.O.M.E. organization to assist families in purchasing homes, and remaining actively involved in civic and faith-based initiatives throughout his life.

The festival was created to honor Robinson’s passion for soul music and his belief in the power of music to unite people. Recognizing a unique opportunity to bring Southern Soul and classic R&B to the Michiana region, the event has grown into an annual celebration of legacy, culture, and sound.

This year’s festival is presented by the 100 Black Sons Initiative and features two legendary funk and R&B acts.

The Bar-Kays, originating in Memphis, Tennessee, began their career as a premier studio and touring band for Stax Records and were personally selected by Otis Redding as his backing band. After rebuilding following tragedy, the group went on to become one of funk music’s most enduring acts, delivering chart-topping hits such as “Freakshow on the Dance Floor,” “Hit and Run,” and “Attitudes.” The Bar-Kays continue to tour worldwide, bringing their signature high-energy funk sound to audiences across generations.

Joining them is Lakeside, the Dayton, Ohio–formed funk band whose creative freedom and distinctive style helped shape the sound of late-’70s and ’80s R&B. With landmark hits including “Fantastic Voyage,” which reached #1 on the R&B charts and achieved Gold and Platinum status, as well as “It’s All the Way Live,” “Raid,” and “Outrageous,” Lakeside remains one of funk music’s most influential and celebrated groups.

Together, these iconic performers will deliver a night of classic grooves, soulful rhythms, and dance-floor favorites—honoring the memory of Leroy Robinson while celebrating the enduring power of soul and funk music.

https://thelerner.com/event/2026-leroy-robinson-festival-the-bar-kays-featuring-lakeside/

Who: The Lerner Theatre
What:  Leroy Robinson Southern Soul & Soul Music Festival Presents: The Bar-Kays featuring Lakeside
When:  Friday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: 410 S. Main St. Elkhart, Indiana 46516
Cost: All-In Price: $167.10 (VIP), $115.55, $89.75, $64.00
Contact information: www.thelerner.com or The Lerner Box Office: (574) 293-4469

About The Lerner Theatre:

The Lerner Theatre, an Elkhart landmark, is part of a revival, a new era for the arts, commerce and life in the heart of our community. The Lerner Theatre is a 100-year-old city owned and operated facility, built in 1924. With the completion of an $18-million-dollar renovation in 2011, The Lerner Theatre has truly put the “heart” back in downtown Elkhart. The Lerner is evidence of this rebirth with its timeless, never-lost quality of an old theatre reborn as a state of the art performance and event facility.