Helena – The sounds of gospel music will again fill downtown Helena this Memorial Day Weekend during the fifth annual Arkansas Delta Family Gospel Festival. The festival is a production of the Delta Cultural Center’s Delta Music Documentation Project and will feature live musical performances throughout the day and evening of Saturday, May 28, 2005. “We anticipate that this year’s festival will be our biggest and best yet,” said Delta Cultural Center Director Katie Harrington. “The four previous festivals have been very successful and have given us the opportunity to highlight this wonderful musical genre of the Arkansas Delta.”

The best of traditional and contemporary gospel music will be the centerpiece of the day-long event. Live gospel music will be presented on the Delta Cultural Center’s Cherry Street Pavilion, located near the Helena Levee, just across Cherry Street from the Delta Cultural Center’s Visitor Center. Performers scheduled to appear are Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC’s; Ollabelle; Doc McKenzie and the Hi Lites; LaShun Pace; the Selvy Singers; the Stillwells; God’s Harmony; the Eternal Life Singers; Kathy Davis; the Gospel Expression; Melodic Truth; Carolyn Williams & the Spiritual Stars; the Cork Singers; Perfection; Harmony; Perspective; the Northern Mississippi Jurisdictional Orchestra; the Fairley High School Choir; the Lord’s Creation; District #2 Choir; Listenbee & Company; Sold Out; the Kelly’s; Point of Redemption and other local, regional and national groups and performers.

The 5th annual Arkansas Delta Family Gospel Festival is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Delta Cultural Center at (870) 338-4350 or (800) 358-0972. You may also access the museum’s website at www.deltaculturalcenter.com. The Delta Cultural Center is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

The Delta Cultural Center shares the vision of all seven agencies of the Department of Arkansas Heritage--to preserve and promote Arkansas heritage as a source of pride and satisfaction. Other agencies within the department are the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council and the Natural Heritage Commission. ###

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