Tallahassee has proven that Mother Nature can’t match the force of gospel music. Three years ago, national gospel star Todd Dulaney was set to perform at the Cascades Park with the praise team from Tallahassee’s Family Worship and Praise Center. But then inclement weather forced a relocation to The Moon.
Despite the location change, fans filled the iconic venue. It was that community response that planted the seed for a similar event spreading love, community, and positivity on a broader scale in the minds of event organizers, Pastor Quincy Griffin of Family Worship and Praise Center, and Kerri Post, director of Leon County’s Division of Tourism, also known as Visit Tallahassee.
Last year, Post reached out to Griffin inquiring about a gospel music festival being included as part of the city’s year-long bicentennial celebration.
“Events are great motivators for traveling,” Post told the Tallahassee Democrat. “He wanted to have the event at the amphitheater, but it rained so due to inclement weather it had to be moved. But it still brought people from all over North Florida and South Georgia.”
On March 22-23, that vision planted by Griffin and Post will come to fruition with the Jubilee Music Festival, where gospel music fans are expected to fill the Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park with sounds of rejoicing as they are serenaded by some of their favorite gospel artists.
This time, legendary Grammy award-winning gospel artists Yolanda Adams and The Clark Sisters will headline the bill, along with Todd Dulaney, Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers, Pastor Mike Jr. and Jekalyn Carr.
Major gospel acts don’t frequently get booked for shows in Tallahassee. Typically, local gospel enthusiasts travel to cities like Jacksonville, Tampa, or Atlanta to see their favorite artists perform. Griffin hopes a successful festival will ignite future prominent gospel showcases in the city, while cultivating a culture of music and performing arts appreciation locally.
“To be able to say we’re bringing this level of artistry to our backyard in the city of Tallahassee is amazing and it’s unprecedented,” Griffin said. “We have, now, no need to ever complain and say Tallahassee doesn’t have concerts or we don’t allow major artists to come to the city. Celebrating the bicentennialreminds us that the landscape of our city has always given platforms for these major artists.”
Griffin says that music brought him to Tallahassee to fulfill his life’s calling, as it has given him the ability to connect with the community through his God-given gift and love for the art.
Family Worship and Praise Center is a local church founded in 1996 by Pastor Cyrus F. Flanagan at 2344 Lake Bradford Road. In 1999, a young Griffin moved to Tallahassee on a band scholarship to play in the Marching 100 as an undergraduate at Florida A&M University. He then went on to a career as band director at Rickards High School. When Flanagan died in 2013, Griffin was appointed the church’s full-time pastor.
Event organizers believe the Jubilee Music Festival will prove just how big the market for larger artists to perform in Tallahassee truly is. It is expected that there could be a turnout of about 6,000 people over the two-day schedule.
After all, Tallahassee is the place that gave musical legends like Ray Charles, the Adderley Brothers and T-Pain their start. The city welcomes the sonically creative.
Yolanda Adams, The Clark Sisters, Pastor Mike Jr., on bill
Tickets for Friday night’s show featuring performances by Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers, Todd Dulaney and Yolanda Adams, are priced at $35 for general admission, $45 for P2 reserved seating and $55 for P2 reserved seating.
For Saturday night’s show featuring Pastor Mike Jr., Jekalyn Carr and The Clark Sisters, tickets start at $40 for general admission, $50 for P2 reserved seating and $60 for P1 reserved seating.
For attendees planning to go both nights, there is a two-day ticket deal with prices listed at $65 for general admission, $85 for P2 reserved seating and $105 for P1 reserved seating.
The live performances only serve as the evening plans for the Jubilee Music Festival. A full day of events has been meticulously pieced together to create a sense of inspiration for all demographics.
Several free events are planned for Saturday, ahead of that night’s live performances.
Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, there will be a variety of activities at the amphitheater, starting with The Business of Ministry Workshop. At 10:30 a.m. noted gospel hip hop artist/social activist/educator Dee-1 will host a youth panel discussion about the impact of music on our youth and communities.
At noon, more than a dozen choirs from across the region will perform in the My Choir Rocks competition hosted by Griff, co-host of “Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell.” Winners will be featured on the show, which is broadcasted on national radio stations, including in Tallahassee on WWLD-HD2 98.3/102.3 HD2. Immediately following, a 200-voice choir will close the competition to honor the city’s bicentennial celebration.
For more information
For more information on the schedule of events and ticketing, please visit https://visittallahassee.com/jubilee/.
Democrat writer Mycah Brown can be reached at MJBrown@gannett.com.
