Next Level Park St. Music Fest will feature local and regional singers, musicians and entertainers on Saturday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. at the Labor Temple grounds on Madison’s South Side.
Park Street Music Fest organizer Clyde Gaines tells Madison365 that he started the festival, which has now become a signature event on Madison’s South Side, to fill a music void in Madison and to create an event for the South Madison community (and beyond) to come together.
The music guests for this year’s Next Level Park St. Music Fest will include Collage & Company, Chakari Daezhare, V Funk, Leroy Booker, and DJ Van Go. Comedian Antoine McNeail will also perform as well as emcee the event.
“It’s a community event right in the heart of South Madison on Park Street and a music event that has some health components to it,” Gaines says. “We will have a 5K run and we will have a nutrition expert speak about the benefits of eating healthy. We’ll have a physical fitness session with Johnny Winston taking place immediately after the nutrition session. Right now, those are scheduled to take place at Mt. Zion Church.”
At 10:30 a.m., Dr. Yvonee Greer will lead a workshop on nutrition and healthy living where people can learn about key nutrient-dense “super foods,” explore the healthiest eating patterns, and participate in a “fact or fiction” nutrition quiz.
At 11:30 a.m., Winston, the CEO of CARES (Community Action Resource Education Services) and a personal trainer, will lead people in physical fitness training.
The day will start out at 9 a.m. with the 5K run/walk, a staple of the Park Street Music Fest that started out as an event for everybody but over the years has turned into an event aimed at Black men. “This year, we are going to open it back up to everybody,” Gaines says.
The event is hosted each year by PEBOGA, an organization founded by Gaines that has a mission to “uplift youth and families through education, cultural enrichment, mentorship, and athletics.”
“I started this back in the day because I wanted to bring some good music to Madison … bring a music-centric event to South Madison,” Gaines says. “I was able to do that that first year, and it was a success, and I had plenty of people who told me how much they enjoyed it, so I wanted to continue to do it, giving back to the community, as well.
“It’s turned into a great event for people of South Madison to come together for fellowship and great music,” he adds.
As far as the 8th annual Next Level Park St. Music Fest entertainment line-up, DJ Van Go will kick things off at 4 p.m., followed by comedian Antoine McNeail at 4:20 p.m. Collage & Company will perform at 4:30 p.m., followed by Chakara Daezhare, V Funk and LeRoy Booker.
“We will be at the Labor Temple site again and we will have some health screenings going on and we will have some food trucks and some great music. There will be some good family vibes going on there,” Gaines says.
“We want people to come out, enjoy themselves, and bring their cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, parents and whoever else to enjoy a day of fun.”
The Labor Temple is located at 1602 S. Park St.
“The Labor Temple is a great location and there’s good parking there. It’s a very visible location; you can see it when you’re walking or driving down Park Street. People can come and go at their leisure,” Gaines says. “There’s plenty of space for the food trucks and the vendors. People really like it there.”
The event this year, like every year, is free.
“There’s so much that I like about the Park St. Music Fest. All of our vendors get out there and get an opportunity to help their businesses grow. I like the opportunity for people to come and get access to health resources,” Gaines says. “I like the fact that we give musicians an opportunity to perform on stage and in front of family and friends and to continue to grow their careers.
“Obviously, I love the fellowship of the event and getting a chance to see people whom you haven’t seen in months or even years all coming together to make it a fun-filled experience,” he continues. “You get a chance to see people who you haven’t seen for months or sometimes for years.”
