Whitehaven Fest 2011 (Memphis,Tn)

Whitehaven Fest June 2011, Memphis, Tennessee

  Hello World! On yesterday we broke out the sunblock and bottled water. The kids and I then headed out into the heat to enjoy the Whitehaven Fest given by the Koinonia Baptist Church here in Memphis, Tn.

Little firetruck ride for the kids.

 This annual fest offered free admission and the rides were free as well. I am not a member of this church but I wanted to get the kids out for some fun and support the cause which to me was, bringing the community together. The fest was filled with activities for the kids such as balloon bouncers and slides, water slides, little carnival rides, horseback riding, tennis, etc. Despite the hotter than Hades temperature on yesterday, people still came out to sweat it out and have a memorable time.

My little Phoebe was brave in the heat.

Listening to the Speakers.

OMG, I was burning up!

Benjamin really enjoyed himeself!

The other kids really enjoyed the horses

Koinonia Baptist Church located on Millbranch near Raines 

  The only thing we paid for was the food. We had to purchase tickets in order to pay for food and it smelled and tasted great. There were snow cones, popcorn, funnel cakes, Bar-b-que turkey legs, smoked sausages, sodas, nachos, ice cream, and plenty of water! The people were happy and kids were dancing. It was nice despite some of the music that I felt was not kid or church ground appropriate.  There was a brief speaker, Tommy Nicholson, from Soul Classics 103.5, a local radio station. He spoke on kids and communtiy. Besides the d.j., there was some live music. There was one soloist that grabbed my attention among others named Gabriel Cox. She sang, "Before You Walk Out of My Life" by Monica (one of my favorite songs by Monica.)  There was also a very courageous women there named Nicole Becton who also spoke to us. She was very beautiful. She spoke on AIDS awareness and getting tested. Being  HIV positive herself, she spoke on the importance of safe sex and abstinence. She contracted the virus being a victim of a rape. It's very sad to hear of this type misfortune but her speaking to the crowd was very encouraging. She wasn't sad, depressing, or whining, but very upbeat, secure, and confident. She also shared the fact the Koinonia offers free AIDS testing that is confidential. The program is appropriately named, "Friends for Life."

Yummy funnel cakes!

Other kids enjoying the carnival rides

   I missed the speech that was to be delievered by our lovely mayor, A.C. Wharton, but after waiting in anticipation for him for an hour and a half, I had to pack up the kiddies and head home. (It was 100 degrees in the shade!) On my way out the drive from the fest, guess who pulls in? ( can you say, "C.P." time?) I did get a glimpse of him though. :-( Sorry, Mayor, I'll just have to catch you on the rebound.
Until next year, Koinonia. Thanks, we had a blast!