The cupcakes were baked, brownies were boxed, grills were fired up and generators were humming.For many food truck owners and vendors downtown, Cincinnati Music Festival weekend was expected to be one of the busiest and most pro fitable weekends of the summer.Instead, some were left scrambling after the sudden cancellation of Cincy Soul Fest, a separate event organizers had promoted for weeks as a celebration of food, music, culture and Black-owned businesses.WATCH: Black-owned food truck owners react to the news of Cincy Soul Fest's abrupt cancellation Vendors scramble after Cincy Soul Fest cancelation during Music Fest weekendJasmine Davis, owner of Sweet Jazz Treats Bakery, said the cancellation came after many vendors had already spent money preparing for the weekend.This weekend was supposed to be a top money-making weekend, not just for me, but other Black-owned businesses, Davis said. We were anticipating to make a good amount of money for this weekend so we could support our families.Davis said vendors received notice of the cancellation abruptly Thursday afternoon while many were still prepping inventory and buying supplies.For us to abruptly get that email saying Cincy Soul was cancelled ... it pretty much threw us completely off, Davis said. Were losing out on thousands of dollars.The event was scheduled during one of the busiest weekends of the year downtown, alongside the Cincinnati Music Festival near Paycor Stadium.Organizers accused the City of Cincinnati of pressuring the private parking company hosting the festival into backing out.The city denied those claims.In a statement, city officials said the weekend had been closed to new special event permits since February because of heavy demand on city resources. Officials said organizers applied for a permit in May but were denied and continued promoting the event anyway.Organizers said the event would have remained under the attendance threshold requiring a special event permit because it was planned for private property without alcohol sales.City officials also cited unresolved safety concerns, including crowd control measures, fencing, generators and possible stage and electrical needs.In response to the allegation, City Manager Sheryl Long said, "Rules regarding special events, including permitting, exist for a reason. We need to make sure everyone can enjoy what Cincinnati has to offer in a way thats well-coordinated with City staff. There is a permitted food and vendor event adjacent to Paycor Stadium as well as many other events taking place throughout Downtown and the city as a whole. Taken together, they will make this weekend a beautiful moment to lift up the Black community and show the world what Cincinnati is all about.For vendors like Davis, the debate over permits and logistics does little to ease the financial impact.This is my only, sole income for me being a single mom and trying to raise my son, Davis said. I needed to figure out something else.Davis said many vendors are now trying to park elsewhere downtown in hopes of salvaging part of the weekend crowds."A lot of us food truckers are just learning to pivot and still try to make the money we need to make," Davis said.She also said the cancellation reflects broader frustrations some food truck owners have had with city regulations and communication.I just feel like we need to have a conversation, Davis said. Most of the time were just here to make money.Some vendors working downtown this weekend were not affiliated with Cincy Soul but are still capitalizing on the Cincinnati Music Festival crowds.We having a good time, said Simone Thomas, a worker at Beyond Guuud food truck downtown Friday. We got good customers coming down here, especially from out of town.Jay Black, owner of Beyond Guuud, said surviving in the food truck business often means adapting quickly.I love to cook, Black said. So thats why Im still in it. It aint for everybody. But its challenging and rewarding at the same time.Mayor Aftab Pureval acknowledged the financial impact on Black-owned businesses in a statement on social media Friday."The Administration has provided a response for why Cincy Soul did not receive permitting Downtown. But this is still a serious frustration and a significant financial burden for many Black-owned small businesses who believed this event would happen," Pureval said. "Regardless of blame, it is important that we do what we can to make sure vendors arent left hurting from the investments theyve made in the weekend. I have asked our Administration to look into what we can do, and in the meantime, I hope impacted food trucks are still able and encouraged to come Downtown." ...read more read less