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Event/Site:
Martin Luther King, Jr. GospelFest at Files
Chapel Baptist Church in Lexington
Date: Sunday before MLK Day from
6:00pm - 9:00pm.
Type: Celebration and concert featuring
regional gospel music, with other activities including a
parade in Lexington. A variety of choirs perform.
The Sunday night MLK GospelFest culminates nightly
services held during the preceding week at different
area churches.
Location: The Lexington GospelFest
takes place at Files Chapel Baptist Church, 900 Dixie
Street, Lexington, NC, 27292.
Click here for a map.
Cost: Free. A love offering to help defray
expenses is collected, and donations of nonperishable
food items for charity organizations are accepted
at the door.
Parking: Free. Parking adequate for bus tours.
Special Needs Access: Venue is fully accessible.
Signage: Sign at location.
Sponsor: NAACP, MLK Social Action Committee,
regional churches and community organizations.
Contacts:
Files Chapel Baptist Church
Phone: (336) 249-7224
Description of Event: Local church choirs
or groups from the community sing at the spirited MLK
GospelFest, in addition to a well-known headliner group
that comes from elsewhere in the state. Coordinated by
local MLK Day steering committees, the week leading up
to the holiday is a busy one, capped off by GospelFest
on Sunday night and by a parade down Main Street in
Lexington on Monday afternoon.
History of Site/Event: In the mid 1990s,
citizens in the county began alternating the annual MLK
GospelFests in Lexington and Thomasville as part of the
memorial activities. The crowds that turned out for the
event grew so large that two years ago they began
offering annual MLK GospelFests in both cities. For
several years, even before official recognition, many
members of the community have celebrated the birthday of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Description of Site/Facility: Files Chapel
Baptist Church began hosting the event in 2008. This
community church can accommodate the sizeable,
enthusiastic crowd at the celebration.
Significance of Site/Event to the Community:
The GospelFest typically features African American
and European American participants both on the stage and
in the audience. The role of music in helping bridge
differences and continues to be a significant catalyst
for bringing people together in a spirit of community.
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