For the past 28 years on the third Saturday in May, scores of people, automobiles and barbecue grills have filled May Park and its surrounding roads for Mayfest.
The festival, sponsored by radio station WFXA-FM (103.1), will return to the park Saturday with a gospel show at 9:30 a.m. followed by hip-hop and R&B performances at 11:30 a.m.
The lineup includes gospel artists LaShelle Griffin, Jimmy Hicks, Damion Little and Erick Carrington, rappers and R&B singers Memphis Bleek, Marques Houston, Keyshia Cole, and headliner Mike Jones.
The event is free as a way to say thank you to the community, said LaKeshia Collins, the promotions director for Radio One of Augusta, which owns the sponsoring station.
"That's our way of giving back and showing our appreciation for our listeners," said Ms. Collins. The station also is showing support by allowing numerous local rappers and singers to take the stage, she said.
"We have at least 13 local artists performing because we always want to give them a chance to showcase their talent as well," Ms. Collins said. "Our local lineup this year is just as good as the national lineup."
Ms. Collins said that during the course of the day, the festival usually draws about 10,000 patrons and has been growing since the addition of a gospel portion to the show a few years ago. This is the first year the show will have nationally known gospel artists.
Ms. Collins said that, aside from its being a free concert, she thinks the event has become a tradition because it has remained at the same site and is family-friendly.
"Coolers and grills welcome, there's already a playground at May Park most of the kids play on," she said. "It's always been at May Park. People always expect it to be there, so they'll show up there the third Saturday in May anyway, if we didn't have it there.
"I don't think we'll ever change the venue. You can't have Mayfest without May Park."
Reach C. Samantha McKevie at (706) 823-3552 or samantha.mckevie@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Mayfest 2005, outdoor gospel, hip-hop and R&B concert
WHERE: May Park, 622 Fourth St.
WHEN: Gospel show at 9:30 a.m.; hip-hop and R&B at 11:30 a.m.
COST: Free
LINEUP:Gospel: LaShelle Griffin, Jimmy Hicks, Damion Little, Johnny Sanders, James Fortune and Erick CarringtonHip-hop and R&B: Mike Jones, Memphis Bleek, Marques Houston, Keyshia Cole, Tank, Rasheeda, Anisha Nicole, NIA, Tango Redd, Da Backwudz, T Waters, Young Capone, Nomb, LJ and C-JayLocal acts: Young E, Strike, L-Wright, Wayne C, Major Noise, 5-Dub, Nutz, Marco Polo, Cashous Clay, Klutch, No Joke Records, Deja and Young Smokesta
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