GOSPELFEST 2005 will be held on July 1, 6 PM to 10 PM and July 2, 12 PM to 6 PM at New Covenant Church, 7500 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.

First held in June 2000, Gospelfest has become a Philadelphia tradition and ONLY outdoor event dedicated exclusively to celebrating gospel music. For the second year in a row, GOSPELFEST is co-sponsored and hosted by New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, located in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. Also new to the event this year is the addition of RADIO ONE and its local gospel music affiliate, WPPZ-FM, the new Praise 103.9 FM as event co-sponsor, its first public event in the Philadelphia area.

With more than one dozen artists scheduled and expected attendance of 10,000, GOSPELFEST 2005 is Philadelphia's first outdoor gospel festival of the summer. This year's headliners include Grammy Award winner Mary Mary as well as Joann Rosario and Marvin Sapp. Local artist on this years roster include TwoFold, Four24, Pastor Allyn Waller and many others to be announced. Past years have highlighted such nationally known artists as Tye Tribbett and G.A., Vanessa Williams, Beverly Crawford, Trin-I-Tee 5:7, Darwin Hobbs, and the Gabriel Hardeman Delegation. Coupled with the over 100 local and regional artists that have participated in the Gospelfest over the years, it is no wonder that the excitement for Gospelfest 2005 has already started to buzz.

GOSPELFEST 2005 is the brainchild of David Almack, U.S. Director for CLC Ministries International. "CLC is committed to presenting this event for the Philadelphia community. Gospel music has grown phenomenally over the past several years and this is a great opportunity to enjoy several wonderful national and local gospel artists while doing Christian outreach at the same time," says Almack. Building on last year's attendance of 3,500, Gospelfest expands this year to become a two-day event, with a new artist showcase on Friday evening followed by the trademark free outdoor gospel concert on Saturday evening on the Church's knoll.

For more information, please contact CLC at 215-542- 1242.