Andalusia native and recording artist Debra Church will have the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at one of the largest and most prestigious cultural celebrations in New York in the coming weeks.

Church, who is an R&B soul and pop singer and songwriter, will perform at the 2012 Arts on Third Festival in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., on Sept. 16.

Church will perform with the likes of Gerald Alston, the lead singer with The Manhattans and Doug E. Fresh, who is described as “the first human beat box in the rap world.”

“We’ll be singing and dancing in front of 25,000 to 30,000 people,” Church said. “This is really big for the city, and they are bringing it back after a four-year hiatus.

“I’m really excited about being selected to perform for this festival because it will give me a platform to share my music with a lot of new fans,” she said. “This is the largest crowd that I will sing for so far in my musical career. I think it’s great that the city is supporting their community and giving talented people an opportunity to take the stage and entertain.”

Church sang “King Had a Dream” at Andalusia Middle School’s black history program in 2011, after singing it on live national radio on Keepin’ It Real with the Rev. Al Sharpton, a syndicated Saturday morning radio program on the National Action Network in Harlem, N.Y.

Church is a 1994 graduate of Andalusia High School and currently lives in New York.