Baisley Pond Park

The Southern Queens Gospelfest brings the community and its choirs together to celebrate the praise and soulful sounds that are Gospel music.

About the Event
People from all corners of New York City flood Baisley Pond Park carrying blankets and lawn chairs to watch over 20 performances under a shaded canopy of trees. The Urban Park Rangers provide canoe rides, and our Recreation division is out in full force providing face painting for people of all ages. Other forms of entertainment include inflatables, chess, knock hockey, and lots of arts & crafts.

Event History
In 2005, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation embarked on an initiative to improve and enhance parks, playgrounds, and programming in Southern Queens. Among the parks selected as part of this initiative were Baisley Pond, Brookville, Springfield, and Idlewild Parks. Because of the high volume of churches within Southern Queens, Gospelfest was created.

Gospel music is an extremely popular cultural component of life for residents of the Southern Queens community, and this event has given its numerous local churches a venue to come together and share their talents. Since its first year, the event has grown dramatically, from 300 spectators in 2006 to over 2,500 in 2008!

Sponsorship
The Southern Queens Gospelfest is sponsored by Parks, Council Member Thomas White Jr., WLIB 1190 Gospel Radio, and Sam Ash Music Stores.

View Images from the Southern Queens Gospelfest