A street festival aimed at bringing the church and the community together is set to take place on Friday.

The Gina Spence Productions in Christ Street Festival has been around for more than 20 years and is planning a bigger and better display on Court Street between 7 and 10 p.m.

The festival is being performed in conjunction with the Bermuda Regiment Band and the Bermuda Island Pipe Band.

Mrs. Spence Farmer said the purpose of the festival was to raise funds for the community.

"We raise funds for families in our community who are in need of food, clothing and shelter," she said.

"The other thing is to bring the church and the community together. Often the church is doing one thing and the community is doing another but it is one of the rare times that they come together in the grassroots community."

Mrs. Spence-Farmer said the festival will feature music, dance and poetry.

"Some of the artists that will be featured will be the Bermuda Seabreeze Salsa Dancers, Septimus, a gospel singer, Lady Tyson, a vocalist," she said, "Also I am going to be ministering in dance and the Hamilton Town Crier and the Mayor will also be involved in launching the ceremony.

"The Bermuda Regiment Band will march while they play a selection of Christmas carols, Reggae and the Pipe Band usually follows them with traditional music. The Scottish dancers and the Gombeys will also perform.

"There is a local young budding performance arts group called Future and they are performing. They are from a combination of all the schools.

She added that Ebony Butterfield, who won the Youth Talent Competition, will open the show.

"We will also have testimonies given by people in recovery who have come from the streets and are now drug and alcohol free and living a clean life," she said.

"The aim is to encourage others that may be out there still suffering. Clarence Hill and a few others will be there spreading the message."

Around the event there will be pledging booths, said Mrs. Spence-Farmer and West Pembroke Youth Ministry and Young Life will be assisting with pledges.

"In the past we have assisted the Salvation Army Homeless Shelter, Single Parents in Action, Bermuda Hosing Corporation with housing allowances for people in need," she said.

"And this year we will be assisting seniors with housing allowances, because of the need.

"We are also going to have some of the helping agencies on hand, professional counsellors from Hyssop House, they are an organisation that does drug counselling.

"Also Carolyn Armstrong from Star/Lighthouse will also be on hand with information about the prevention of AIDS/HIV."

The event will be broadcast live on Power 95 and Bermuda Spirit 1230 am.

There will also be a special feature from the Islandwide Dance Ministries, who will be following the Pipe Band.

The event will be hosted by both Power Girl and Brendelle Hall, an MC/host from the faith community.

She said: "We will keep combining the two so we are touching both groups."

Mrs. Spence-Farmer added that they will also deliver hampers to people in need and people in need can leave their names at the information booths.

For more information or for assistance 331-2492.