RICHMOND, Va. -- A popular gospel music festival is returning to Byrd Park and celebrating local artists and the community.
Sheilah Belle is a radio personality with Radio One's PRAISE 104. She's also the founder of the Gospel Fest with The Belle, a part of Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell. The event was canceled in 2020 but will return on Sunday for its eleventh anniversary.
"I am humbled, I am pleased, I am excited and I am grateful for yet another opportunity again," Belle said.
She said that this year's event is going to be special.
"For a lot of the people that we have coming, they are excited to just be able to get together to see each other to be on the stage to kinda share all of the good music that God has been given them over the year now having an audience to share it to," Belle said.
National gospel artists Ernest Pugh and Earl Bynum are performing but the festival will also feature many local artists like Cora Harvey Armstrong and God’s Image, a community coming together in support of each other.
"So when you have a stage like this that is centered in the community you want to make sure that the community has a lot of opportunity to shine there," Belle said.
Dr. Johnny Branch will be shining on stage as a cohost with Belle.
The free event is on Sunday at Dogwood Dell in Byrd Park.
"And we’ll be starting at 5 and we will be wrapping up when we are done," Belle said.
The event usually wraps around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. For more details about the event, visit The Belle Report on Instagram and for concerts at Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell, call the hotline at 646-DELL.
