478 Cookout and Block Party brings unity, wellness and music to Macon

The Labor Day weekend event featured DJs, food, wellness activities, and a focus on community.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – About 1,000 people marked this Labor Day weekend at Macon’s Henderson Stadium, as musicians, vendors and residents filled came together Sunday for the inaugural 478 Cookout and Block Party.

Music and dancing brought energy to the stadium, with local DJs rotating throughout the day. Radio personality and program director Tex James of Power 107.1 said the event was all about bringing the community together.

“We want to make sure that people in the community know they exist, that they are important,” he said.

Soopa Dave, production director at Power 107.1, says it’s important for the younger generation to come together.

“Macon, Georgia, is responsible for so many good things musically and in the movies, so I just really want to remind our young people that, listen, we’ve got more in common than we don’t, you know what I’m saying? So let’s pull together and put it down for the community,” he said.

Larry Guyton, radio personality at Power 107.1’s The Tex James Morning Show, said that while the event’s purpose was unity, it also highlighted the importance of staying local and supporting homegrown talent.

“There’s always shows and concerts in Macon, but we have enough talent and people in Macon,” he said. “We don’t need any artists, we don’t need any shows. We just put our name on it and everybody comes together to make it happen.”

Local artist and Macon native Shannon Howard expressed gratitude for the chance to support his community.

“We are always going to other places, but we never had anything that we can do for ourselves here,” he said. “So we said, ‘Let’s do it here. We got the stadium, everybody is familiar with it. Everybody is close to it.’ And it turned out well.”

Even though it was a cookout, health and wellness were also at the forefront, with fitness instructors offering classes throughout the day.

“What’s important to me is that our community continues to get healthy,” Extreme Hip Hop instructor Marquita Baldwin said. “Yes, this was a cookout and fun, but we are here to bring awareness to health and wellness. So many people in our community are depressed. They’re stressed. They don’t have any type of outlet. So this is what we’re here for, to bring them an outlet, something fun to do, but also to help them lose weight.”

Camissia Gooden from Grovin Movin Camissia led an aerobics step class and shared her perspective on the importance of mental health.

“I have had people share that testimony about them going through depression, but this class is something that they come to help them,” she said. “That’s their outlet. So it’s not just a physical workout, but to help mentally as well.”

Combat veteran and cancer survivor Marvin James, founder of Sea Moss King, handed out free samples of healthy drinks and encouraged attendees to embrace an active lifestyle.

“Get out and move and let’s go back to the people we once were, our grandparents and great-grandparents once were,” he said. “Get from in front of the television, get from in front of social media and get out and get to know your neighbors, because this is our community, and the healthier we get, the stronger the city gets.”

Organizers said some of the proceeds raised during the event will be reinvested into the community.