Music Icons Gladys Knight and Mary J . Blige Headline Inaugural Florida Juneteenth Festival
Lauderhill Performing Arts Center Reflects Humanity , Diversity , and Community
14BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL FRIDAY MAY 13 , 2016
ARTS & CULTURE
y Raynell Rosemond
Gladys Knight If you are looking for a weekend filled ith heritage , education and ntertainment , you may want to attend the naugural 2016 Florida Juneteenth Festival . he Agents for Community Change , a South lorida Foundation , “ Working to Cultivate a hriving Community ”, recently announced he festival featuring an exciting lineup of ational and local artists offering eleven ours of music , entertainment , and ducation for the entire family and ommunity . The extravaganza is scheduled or Saturday , June 18 , 2016 at Mills Pond
y Zachary R Rinkins
Music Icons Gladys Knight and Mary J . Blige Headline Inaugural Florida Juneteenth Festival
Mary J . Blige Park located at 2201 N . W . 9 Avenue in Fort Lauderdale . Event partners include Cox Media , X 102.3 FM , Broward County , and the City of Fort Lauderdale . Tickets are available for purchase online at www . FloridaFestivals . org . The festivities start at 11 a . m . and will run until midnight . This party has a purpose .
" We are coming together to enjoy life , celebrate with our friends , and remember how far we ' ve come since the last of us were freed on June 19 , 1865 ," says Shakera Green of the Florida Festivals , an umbrella entity of the not-for-profit Agents For Community Change . “ We are also raising money for a cause close to our heart ."
The festival honors the 151st anniversary of Juneteenth , the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States . According to Juneteenth . com , the celebration dates back to 1865 . It was on June 19th that the Union soldiers , led by Major General Gordon Granger , landed at Galveston , Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free . Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln ’ s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1 , 1863 .
“ African-Americans have made such a strong impact and have made many contributions to this community and the country as a whole . This event shines a light on those contributions ,” Green adds .
The event boasts a power-packed lineup of musical performers spanning genres from soul to funk , to rhythm and blues , and more . Attendees can enjoy the melodies of iconic legends including Grammy award- winning artists Gladys Knight ; hip hop R & B queen Mary J Blige , platinum selling group WAR , R & B crooner Tevin Campbell , New Orleans style brass band the Soul Express ; Jazz saxophonist Randy Corinthian and more artists to be announced .
“ This is an epic experience . Where else can you get Gladys Knight and Mary J . Blige on the same stage ? These are two icons from two different generations celebrating our history and entertaining our community ,” she reveals . “ This festival shines a positive and educational light on our community .”
For more information on artists , volunteers , sponsorship opportunities , hotel accommodations , VIP packages and ticket information including pricing , visit www . FloridaFestivals . org
" We are coming together to enjoy life , celebrate with our friends , and remember how far we ' ve come since the last of us were freed on June 19 , 1865 "
Lauderhill Performing Arts Center Reflects Humanity , Diversity , and Community
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center LPAC ) is a newly-christened cultural hub ocated in the heart of a diverse city . ocated next to the Central Broward egional Park on the northeast corner of unrise Boulevard and State Road 7 , LPAC as an 1143 seat-theater equipped with a roscenium stage and state of the art quipment . The City of Lauderhill and roward County funded the LEED Silver erforming arts structure to support the conomic expansion and cultural xpressions of the surrounding ommunities .
“ Lauderhill is a great and thriving ommunity with a proud Caribbean
culture ,” says LPAC General Manager Michael Tipton . “ We wanted to create a package that represented Lauderhill . The city leaders wanted showcase the city ’ s diversity .”
As general manager , Tipton has executive oversight over a myriad of responsibilities including booking the entertainment , facility operations , technical stage services , business operation , front-of-house services and interior maintenance . His staff produced the center ’ s inaugural programming calendar .
“ I have a great staff , and the majority them are from Lauderhill ,” he shares . “ We try to create the best experience possible for our patrons .”
The Pensacola-native is a veteran theater professional . He started working while attending Florida State University . He perfected his craft in Arizona for more than a decade . The homesick Floridian returned home to work for Professional Facilities Management , the company that manages the center . He likes the LPAC ’ s versatility .
“ We are getting a lot of positive feedback noting our great location and facility size . Once people get here they fall in love with it . We have good food and ample parking ,” he adds .
More than a theater , LPAC has a multipurpose room , a large lobby available for rental events , and a second floor outdoor terrace overlooking the beautiful neighboring Central Broward Regional Park . The backstage support areas offer a green room with six well-equipped dressing rooms with modern makeup mirrors and private restrooms and showers . The center can be used for personal and business events including weddings , bar mitzvahs , birthday parties , receptions , cocktail parties , and more .
“ We are still growing and learning what we can offer . PFM manages another center and we were originally getting the overflow from that facility ,” Tipton reveals . “ We inherited dance recitals and dance competitions from the other facility . Once the word spread , we began to get a lot of requests for our facility .”
He continues : “ I am very excited about Caribbean Heritage Month in June . We are hosting a Caribbean American Heritage Awards program and a Caribbean American Exhibition and Festival .”
LPAC provides visitor tours on Wednesdays and is supported by Lauderhill Cultural Trust , Inc .
Upcoming Events
May 20 – Keiser University Graduation
May 22 – Dance Through The Ages Present Movie Magic
June 5 - Dance Through The Ages Present Movie Magic
June 11 – Performance Edge Dance Recital
June 12 – West Side Dance Studio Dance Recital
June 18 – Caribbean American Heritage Awards
June 25 – Lil & Christina Fashion Show
June 26 – Caribbean American Exhibition and Festival
June 29 – City of Lauderhill ACT Board Talent Show
Find out more at www . LPACFL . com .