Culinary Arts Experience
The Colorado Black Arts Festival is entering a bold new chapter in its legacy, one that brings the rich traditions of the African diaspora to life through the culinary arts. We are debuting an immersive fine dining experience that goes far beyond food. A celebration of memory, resilience, and creativity- told through recipes, stories, and the hands that bring them to the table. From the fields where crops are sown to the kitchens where traditions are passed down through generations, food has always been a powerful medium for storytelling. The journey of African diaspora cuisine is layered with history, joy, struggle, and love. Hosted at Uncorked Kitchen and Wine Bar, this evening will explore those layers, offering a tapestry of flavors through three courses prepared by local chefs that reveal not just what we eat, but who we are.
In addition to honoring the deep culinary heritage that has shaped the American food experience, this event will highlight the often-overlooked contributions of Black farmers in Colorado. Their stories, rooted in endurance, land stewardship, and cultural pride, will be woven into the evening’s narrative, reminding us of the connection among land, labor, and legacy.
This experience will also serve as a fundraiser, with a goal of raising $20,000 to support year-round arts programming for the communities we serve. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit Black farmers across Colorado, ensuring that this initiative not only celebrates history but also invests in its future.
On behalf of CBAF, thank you for supporting the arts!!
Purchase Tickets or Table(s)
Evening Narrator
Adrian Miller, The Soul Food Scholar
2x James Beard Award-Winning author
MEET THE CHEFS
Chef Tajahi Cooke (Afro-Caribbean Cuisine)
Chef Tajahi Cooke is a Jamaican-born chef, community leader, food broker, and culinary educator whose work bridges the worlds of hospitality, business, and service. As President of the Colorado Chef Alliance and an Account Executive with Lakeland Marketing, he is dedicated to connecting chefs, manufacturers, distributors, and operators while strengthening Colorado’s culinary community.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Tajahi’s culinary foundation was shaped by his grandparents, Mrs. Betty and Mr. Adrian Cooke. Long before professional kitchens, he learned that food began with the land—planting vegetables, shelling peas, peeling garlic, and understanding that every meal carried a story. Those early lessons became the foundation of a career built on respect for ingredients, craftsmanship, and service.
Chef Vikky (West African Cuisine)
Chef Vikky is the founder of ClassikChops, a Colorado-based Nigerian culinary brand specializing in catering and food experiences. Rooted in Yoruba culture from Southwest Nigeria, she brings authentic flavor, quality, and hospitality to every table. After building a bakery and catering business in Nigeria and helping others start food businesses, she launched ClassikChops in Colorado to fill a gap for Nigerian food that truly tastes like home.
Chef Jasmine Holmes (Southern Creole Cuisine)
Jasmine Holmes is a mixed media artist living and working in Colorado. Born in Arizona, she received her BFA from the University of West Florida, and her MFA from Colorado State University. She has exhibited with Redline, IRL Art Gallery and has presented as a demonstrating artist at the Denver Art Museum. Jasmine Holmes uses depictions of staple food crops from her Creole upbringing to explore connections to her West African ancestry. She considers her work a love letter to her ancestors and their cultivation of the land, depicting and celebrating the knowledge and food traditions that have been passed down within her family for generations. Holmes used her Land Line residency to create paintings that explore the beauty of the botanical world and honor the sustenance it offers.
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT PARTNER
CULINARY ARTS SPONSORS
