WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Sunday is the final day of the Something in the Water Festival happening in Washington, DC. Thousands of people have attended the three-day event. On Sunday, they had a free pop-up church service with a star studded line-up.
“I can't really explain it. I just feel in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of good people, to hear good music music that I listen to on a daily, live, it's just it's amazing,” Laura Stevens said.
After a trying week, Stevens said the outdoor pop-service is just what she needed to kick off a new seven days. The coronavirus pandemic temporarily closed the doors to churches. She and her friend Charita Matthews were happy for the space to worship in person.
“Being in those four walls for that long period of time, it's a lot and you don't realize what the emotional toll it takes on you,” Matthews said.
The event kicked off with prayer. Thomas Bowen, the Director of Religious and African American Affairs for DC, said Sunday’s service is what the community needs to bridge gaps created during the pandemic.
“We do need to bring each other together. We've been through lots of things over the course of the past two or three years. I can think of nothing that speaks more so to the hearts of people as inspirational music like gospel music,” the Rev. Bowen said.
The day was filled with sermons and performances with artists from all around the country, and from the Howard Gospel Choir. The Assistant Music Director for the choir, Darrell Brown, said performing on Juneteenth is tribute to the generations who could only dream of performing on stages like this.
“Music is a universal language; and so no matter what genre, there's a message always in a song. We stand upon great shoulders and so we do this not just for us and the people that are here, for those who have come before us and who have paved the way for us," Brown said.