Motown Christmas concert at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum

 

There are 130 people set to attend the Motown Christmas Musical at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum this December.

The concert will feature performances by TJN Experience and the Black Kids in Action Performing Arts program. Motown music is a combination of rhythm and blues (R&B) and pop music.  According to the curator of the Freedom Museum, Mary-Katherine Whelan, the music is “chill” creating a great environment for people to come and enjoy their night.

“I just feel like it’s one of those things where people can come and gather and get together,” said Whelan. “It’s a fun event, probably one of my favourite events of the year.”

Whelan would like to remind those who have purchased tickets to bring a canned good to be donated to the Amherstburg Mission. The museum itself functions as a non-profit aided by government grants, according to Donald McArthur, city councilor in Amherstburg.

“The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is an integral and important part of the Amherstburg community,” said McArthur.  “It celebrates the underground railroad. Amherstburg was the terminus for thousands of slaves who fled the United States and found freedom in Canada.”

Whelan says the concert is like a reunion for some people, there is food and drinks and there will likely be a familiar face for each of the attendees going to the concert.  

“I think it’s important for the community to support us because we’re a non-profit that focuses on telling the history of the underground railroad and how important and integral it is to the history of this area as well as Canadian history,” said Whelan. “So this event itself, it supports the mission that we do at the museum, it helps with the programming and for us to be able to have our doors open year-round.”

Tickets are sold out but if people are interested they can make a donation to the Museum by visiting their website at Amherstburgfreedom.org