2026 marks the 40th Annual GospelFest, to be held at MLK Park. On Saturday, July 25, Community Inspiration Collective, Inc. will host the event that will feature a star-studded lineup of performers, including special guest national recording artists, the Windy City Spiritualaires of Phoenix, Arizona. The all ages event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 2pm to 8pm.
As for the history of Buffalo’s GospelFest, it was Richard Reinhardt of the Downtown Merchants Association who initially reached out to John Hill Enterprise about starting the festival in 1987. Bessie Patterson was the person that recruited the local talents. It was Patterson who took the ball and ran with it all these years. She even persevered three changes in venue locations, while continuing to grow the event year to year.
Past national entertainers at Buffalo’s GospelFest include Vickie Winans, Albertina Walker, Doug Williams, Twinkie Clark, The Williams Brothers, Witness, Trinity, The Wilmington Chester Mass Choir, Uneek, Bishop Hartfield’s 100 Voice Choir, Buffalo’s own Christopher Brunson, Lamar Campbell and the Spirit of Praise, The Windy City Spiritualaires, Frederick and Erica Barr, MDA Fellowship Choir, Kim Burrell, Earnest Pugh, Elder Goldwin McClendon, The Holy Spiritualaires, Buffalo’s own Alexis Spight, and Jonathan Nelson, and Malcolm Williams.
History of GospelFest:
- In 1988 M&T Bank took over as sole sponsor of the festival which was always held on the Plaza of its corporate headquarters at Main and Mohawk Streets in downtown Buffalo.
- The festival became so popular that it soon outgrew that site (Metro Rail posed a hazard) and in 1991 it moved to the waterfront at Lasalle Park for one year.
- In 1993 GospelFest moved to the newly renovated Johnnie B. Wiley Sports Pavilion at Jefferson and Best Streets.
- In 2016, which marked the festival’s 30th Anniversary, the event was held for two days: Saturday in MLK Park and Sunday at Canalside.
- After that, GospelFest made its final move to its present location – the newly renovated and improved Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Fillmore and Best Streets.
“The purpose of the festival is to bring communities together regardless of race, color, religion, or ethnic backgrounds, and showcase gospel artists, local and national, while teaching the value and art of all genre of gospel music that gives honor and praises to God!” – Buffalo GospelFest
Lead image: Photo by Edwin Andrade