Celebrate Gospel lifted spirits once again this past year as part of Disney’s broader celebration of Black History Month festivities under their Celebrate Soulfully initiative. We had the chance to check out the event on February 15th and there which followed was the second event of the year following another that took place on February 8, 2025.

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Here’s a look at what you can expect with the 2025 return of Celebrate Gospel to Disneyland.

What to Expect

Set in the Fantasyland Theater, the event took place over two Saturdays this month with non-stop music from 2:30 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. each day from community choirs. Each night of the event also featured headlining artists, this year it was:

Feb. 8 – Doe
Feb. 15 – Melvin Crispell, III

Aside from the musical performances, you can enjoy a special food items at Troubadour Tavern (which continues to feature it’s regular menu of stuffed baked potatoes) plus new event-specific specials including a Fried Chicken Bowl and a Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole.

Aside from the food and the music, there’s a small crafts area at the back of the theater with some coloring crafts and a flower wall for written messages.

What We Ate

We tried both of the new food items and they are fantastic. We highly recommend you don’t skip if they bring these back again.

Fried Chicken Bowl ($14.99) was only available weekends during Celebrate Gospel featuring spicy honey-glazed fried chicken served with four cheese mac ‘n cheese, smoked turkey collard greens, and sweet potato cornbread. Everything here tasted so insanely good. The chicken is tender and juicy while the breading is light and crispy The greens were smokey with a hint of tabasco, the baked mac was cheesy and savory, and the corn bread with that little pop of filling just sets it all over the top.

The Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie Casserole ($7.49) was also only available during Celebrate Gospel weekends and was absolutely delightful. It’s very sweet and there’s a BUNCH of pecans in every single bite. The toasted marshmallows on top are the chef’s kiss to finish the meal although ours could have used a little more time to caramelize.

Activities and Displays

You can also head to the crafts area where you can color a beautiful stained glass paper craft fan or fill out a flower-shaped card with your thankful blessings to hang from the Wall of Giving Flowers.

There’s also photo-ops and wall-art paying homage to the history and legacy of gospel music including its origins, key players, its permeation in pop culture, and its continuing legacy.

The Music

The groups this year were comprised of choirs from the greater Los Angeles area including Azusa, Orange County, and Inglewood. Headliners over the two nights include DOE (Feb. 8) and Melvin Crispell III (Feb. 15) who are each acclaimed artists known for their deep roots in contemporary and traditional gospel music.