Reaching Hearts Gospel Fest Returns to Downtown Front Royal, Seeks Community Sponsors

Downtown Front Royal will be filled with gospel music, food, and fellowship on Saturday, Sept. 12, as the Reaching Hearts Gospel Fest returns for its fifth year, with organizers also seeking sponsors to help support the community event.

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Main Street Gazebo in downtown Front Royal. Hope & Holiness Worship Center, led by Senior Pastor Ricardo Roman and Co-Pastor Shannon Roman, is presenting the event in partnership with the NAACP Warren Page Branch 7125-B.

Organizers describe the festival as a day of worship, unity, fellowship, and family fun, built around the message “Every Heart Counts. Every Soul Matters.”

Gospel performances will provide music throughout the event, while food trucks and vendors will offer visitors additional options to enjoy during the six-hour gathering.

Among the food offerings promoted for this year’s festival are Rick’s Jerk Pit and Rick’s Jerk Pit & Flash Service, which uses the slogan “Serving Flavor in a Flash!”

The festival’s broader message is summed up in three words: “Worship • Love • Serve.”

Organizers are also using Psalm 95:6 as part of this year’s event: “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”

As preparations continue, Hope & Holiness Worship Center and the NAACP Warren Page Branch are seeking businesses, organizations, and individuals interested in sponsoring the festival.

“Partner with us. Impact lives,” organizers said in their sponsorship appeal.

The goal, according to festival organizers, is to create a day of “worship, unity, and encouragement through live music, fellowship, food, and fun for the whole family.”

Several levels of participation are available for those interested in supporting the event. Opportunities include event sponsors, stage sponsors, vendor sponsors, and community partners.

Organizers said sponsors will receive recognition and promotion before, during, and after the festival.

Donations are also being accepted to help support the event.

“Every donation helps us create a lasting impact and reach more lives for Christ,” the sponsorship announcement states.

Janet Timbers is listed as the point of contact for sponsorship inquiries and can be reached at 540-671-0756. The sponsorship information also lists the email address secretary@warrenpagenaacp7125.org

Those wishing to send sponsorships or donations by mail have two options. Contributions can be sent to Hope & Holiness Worship Center, 3042 Valley Ave., Suite 111, Winchester, VA 22602, or to NAACP Warren-Page Branch, P.O. Box 390, Front Royal, VA 22630.

The partnership between the church and the NAACP branch emphasizes bringing people together for the day, with the festival designed to welcome families and community members to music, food, and fellowship in the center of town.

The event also uses Psalm 150:6 in its sponsorship message: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

The festival is entering its fifth year with the same community-focused message reflected in its name, Reaching Hearts.

For organizers, the day is intended to offer more than a series of musical performances. The goal is to create a welcoming place for worship and encouragement while giving people an opportunity to spend time with neighbors, friends, and family.

The fifth Reaching Hearts Gospel Fest will take place Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Main Street Gazebo in downtown Front Royal. The event will feature gospel performances, food trucks, and vendors.

Those interested in sponsoring the festival can contact Janet Timbers at 540-671-0756.