This September marks a Vallejo homecoming unlike any we’ve seen in decades, with E-40 and other Vallejo artists celebrating the history and future of the city’s music.

Dock of Bay has brought music to Mare Island for the past four years. However the fifth annual event will be bigger than ever before. Vallejo’s own E-40, Baby Bash, LaRussel and more are scheduled to perform in an event that’s been a long time coming.

Dock of Bay organizers Jeff Trager and Kevin Frazier have brought in artists like Morris Day and The Time and The Commodores in past years. This time around, they are teaming up with LaRussel and his creative nonprofit Good Compenny to put on the fest.

Through that collaboration, they were able to bring home Vallejo native E-40 and Baby Bash.

“This is a big ordeal,” said LaRussel. “This is something that nobody else has been able to do for decades so it’s exciting.”

This year’s Dock of Bay is old school meets new school, says Trager. With performances by Con Funk Shun, Baby Bash, LaRussel and E-40, with more artists still to be announced, the organizers are hoping to draw a wide range of audiences.

“It was very important to have cultural representation for all demographics and all ages,” says LaRussel. “We wanted the fest to be for everyone and not just one group of people to enjoy.”

The festival is also recentering its focus on music coming from Vallejo. “The fact that these generations of artists have come out of Vallejo now really speaks volumes to this area and the creative power that there is,” says Frazier.

Vallejo has long been a hotbed for musicians and producers, so even those that aren’t set to make an official appearance, like Sylvester Stewart of Sly and the Family Stone and Gabriella Wilson of HER, will still be honored in some way for their contribution to Vallejo’s music scene.

With a star-studded lineup, Frazier and Trager are preparing to sell out tickets to Dock of Bay. “We all think we’re going to be having more people out there than can fit,” laughs Frazier. “So we have to really watch how many tickets we can sell.”

Over the years Frazier and Trager have learned that it’s really about the artists when it comes to pulling an audience for a music fest. “The venue is outstanding, but if you don’t have the name artists you’re only going to do so well,” says Trager.

The venue, Mare Island, should be even more picturesque this year with the recent arrival of historic ships to the island. On top of the music, the fest plans to have exclusive opportunities for VIP guests, food trucks and drink options, a VW photo booth van and more still to come.

LaRussel says he is looking forward to performing at Dock of Bay in addition to collaborating for the execution of the event. He is a very active performer and figure in Vallejo, saying performing in the city is made special by the people that support him. “The energy and the love that I get at home is just like no place else on earth. When we come back here and do shows it’s just a different spirit that resonates within the city.”

With so many local musical legends set to perform at Dock of Bay, there’ll be plenty of that hometown spirit to go around.

Learn more and purchase tickets at dockofbay.com