On Saturday, August 15th, Joy Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, 55922 S. State Street in Chicago opened its doors — and its heart — to the community for its annual Joyfest celebration.
Everything was free: food, backpacks, and school supplies for families and children heading back to school.
Community Shows Up for Community
One of the most memorable moments of this year’s Joyfest happened the night before the event. Senior Pastor Rev. Gregory Daggett was outside hanging the banner when a passerby noticed a large concrete hump at the entrance blocking the walkway. A man named Curtis, who works nearby at Elsie Higginbotham’s establishment, stopped, turned around, and came back with a concrete saw and a Bobcat. He cut it, broke it up, hauled it away, and filled the ground — all on his own initiative.
“God just keeps blessing us,” said Kevin Harris, Minister of Music at Joy Fellowship and owner of Tataris Catering. “People came up asking if we needed anything. Somebody donated the tent. It just kept happening.”
Harris manned the grill for Joyfest, serving up Wagyu chuck roast, St. Louis style pork ribs, and Argentinian sausages — all sourced from Wild Fork, where he is a distributor. He has been barbecuing since 1975, when his aunt first taught him, and launched Tataris Catering formally in 2014.
More Than a Church, A Resource
Rev. Daggett framed Joyfest as an expression of something deeper than a one-day event.
“Every Sunday I announce we need to be a part of the solution. Everybody talks about the problem — we need the solution. That’s our contribution.”
His vision for Joy Fellowship extends beyond free meals and school supplies. He wants the church to be a true resource hub — a go-to point for services, support, and connection for the community.
“We want to be more than just the church where you come and clap your hands. We want to put resources in people’s hands — services where you can go and get things done.”
That vision was also on display through the church’s three-week summer camp partnership with Golden Key, which served 50 kids ages 5 to 16 with museum trips, fishing outings, and mentorship from 10 volunteers.
Joyfest 2026 was more than a block party. It was a community putting down roots — and watering them together.
