SNOW HILL — The Greene County Public Library will be holding a Night of Joy at 7 p.m. today.
The event rings in the holidays with a selection of performing artists, including Nell Cannon, who auditioned recently for America’s Got Talent.
Night of Joy began five years ago at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library. But this year will be the first to be held in Snow Hill.
“The Friends (of the Library) were looking for ways to bring more people into the library and to better utilize the newly remodeled space,” Kinston librarian Antwan Hawkins said about the first event in Kinston.
The Greene County library was recently expanded and renovated.
The event is a community celebration that allows singers, dancers and instrumentalists to gather for the holiday season.
Past celebrations in Lenoir County have showcased some of the local talent. This year’s event will include performers from Greene and Lenoir counties.
“I am hoping for a great turnout in Greene County,” Hawkins said. “They have a lot of talent. We hope that the Greene County Library becomes one of the popular gathering places.”
In addition to Cannon, the program will feature singers and guitarist Bob and Pat Jones, dancers Larissa Tripp and Limited Dance Works, and singer Gene Smith, all of Snow Hill. It will also feature singers and guitarists Parker Mansfield and Kent Henderson, singer Joi Lemon and others.
Lemon, who is emceeing the event with Hawkins, originally came up with the Night of Joy idea five years ago.
Mansfield is a high school student studying music under Henderson, who is pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Kinston.
Cannon expects to find out if she is selected for the next level of “America’s Got Talent” sometime in January.
“It’s a good opportunity to speak more on my ‘America’s Got Talent,’” she said about tonight’s event.
Refreshments will be available. It’s recommended reservations be made by calling the Greene County Public Library at 252-747-3437.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MargaretFishr.
