The history of gospel music in the Hudson Valley is a living tapestry woven from the region’s traditions, community resilience, and evolving expressions of faith. Rooted in the spirituals and hymns carried north through migration and revival movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gospel took firm hold in African American congregations across Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Kingston, and surrounding towns.

The community is invited to celebrate these traditions at the 6th annual Hudson Valley Gospel Festival, taking place at 2 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Family Partnership Center, located at 29 North Hamilton St. in Poughkeepsie.

Today, the Hudson Valley’s gospel scene reflects both continuity and creativity — anchored in Sunday-morning worship, enlivened by praise dance and spoken word, an

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