MEDFORD, NJ. (www.creationfest.com) - The largest outdoor Christian music and teaching festival of its kind, the 28th Annual Creation Festival continues the tradition of featuring the hottest acts in Christian music, as well as highlighting up-and-coming artists and introducing young audiences to some of the foundational artists who have made Christian music what it is today. Creation Northeast will be held June 28th - July 1st at the Agape Farm in the beautiful mountain ranges of Mount Union, PA. Celebrating its 9th year, Creation Northwest will be held at the amazing Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA July 26th -29th.
This year's main stage line-up includes Third Day, TobyMac, Newsboys, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, Audio Adrenaline,
Hillsong United,
David Crowder, Salvador, Stryper, popular mainstream band
Relient K and American Idol finalist,
George Huff, along with many other nationally known favorites. The Festival will also present many new artists who are on the rise, including Flyleaf, The Afters, Mainstay and M.O.C.
The Tooth and Nail Records sponsored 'X2006 Fringe Stage' will feature the best of up-and-coming alternative Christian artists, including Krystal Meyers, Seventh Day Slumber, John Reuben, Hawk Nelson, Falling Up, House of Heroes and 4th Avenue Jones, among others.
For the first time, the Creation Festival is partnering with WorshipTogether.com, bringing its online resources to life with a training conference for worship leaders, musicians and writers in the afternoon Worship Tent. With distinct seminar classes ranging from songwriting to hands-on training for bands, worship leaders and musicians will have a rare opportunity to come together for teaching and fellowship.
In addition to the top-notch artists performing at each event, speakers from across the country will take the stage throughout the day to challenge and encourage listeners. Among this year's featured speakers are Mark Matlock, Compassion International founder Wess Stafford, Jan &
Laura Laffon, Bob Lenz, Reggie Dabbs and Teen
Mania Ministries' founder Ron Luce.
As has become tradition at the Creation Festival, the main stage programming ends each night with an unforgettable highlight. Wednesday starts off with a spectacular fireworks display and
Thursday offers a wonderful Communion service. Friday night is our traditional Candle lighting worship event. With the glow of thousands of candles on a hillside, this tradition started at Creation in 1982 and proves to be one of the most memorable moments each year. Saturday afternoon provides a joyful celebration as new believers can take part in a special water baptism.
Another highlight to the Festival is the Late Night Caf?. Each evening after the main stage shuts down, the Late Night Caf? opens to provide entertainment for the 'night owls' in attendance. Wednesday night is a Comedy Night and
Thursday night will feature Blues artist Jimmie Bratcher. A new addition for the 2006 Late Night Caf? will have Creation and HearItFirst.com partnering for the Ultimate
Battle of the Bands. Details about this event and how to register for the competition will be forthcoming.
An event for the entire family, both Creation Northeast and Northwest also provide a Children's Tent, which will feature a program geared especially for the younger attendees, including Rocfish, Phredd, Bigsby and an array of puppets and fun music. Each afternoon, kids gather under the trees in the 'Kids Grove' for a special craft time.
Creation Festival also strives to provide resources that will help to equip the next generation for life and ministry. Every afternoon there are special seminars on a variety of topics from keynote speakers, as well as a daily Musician Seminar, hosted by Christian Musician and Worship Musician Magazines. Once again, Creation will team up with Interlinc to provide youth leaders with excellent seminars and other resources, including a daily afternoon seminar lead by
Duffy Robins, Talkback Sessions where Group Leaders can meet and have candid discussions with some of the most popular artists appearing at the Festival, and a VIP Youth Leader Tent, where leaders can get out of the sun, look through an assortment of free literature and other beneficial resources and share ideas with other Youth Leaders.
If Extreme Games and exhibits sound exciting, then Creation delivers a full week of fun. The X-Games feature climbing walls, spider jumps and sumo wrestling, a Skateboard and BMX ministry, a Gear Giveaway and a vendor Exhibit area with almost 200 booths with an assortment of merchandise and apparel available for purchase and ministries and colleges offering free literature and information.
'I am personally very excited for this year,' explains Festival co-founder, Pastor Harry Thomas. 'I feel a new breath and depth to what God wants to accomplish at Creation '06. Lots of prayers and work go into Creation, but what really counts is the way the Lord touches the lives of those attending. We're expecting and believing for a great year!'
The Creation Festival was founded in 1979 in Pennsylvania and has since grown to become the largest event of its kind, adding a second event in 1998 on the west coast, held at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA. In 2005, Creation branched out once again, this time internationally. Friendship Fest, held just outside the beautiful gardens and old walls of Marrakech, the cultural capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, was a huge success with more than 80,000 fans gathering for this truly historical event in a Muslim country. The 2nd Annual Friendship Fest will be held May 5-7, 2006.
Tens of thousands of people attend the Creation Festivals from all across the United States and Canada, as well as many international countries, including Iceland, Switzerland, and France. In
September 2002, CBS News featured a 20 minute segment about the Creation Festivals in its 'Sunday Morning' program, which was viewed by over eight million people across the nation. The Festival has also been featured by mainstream media outlets including VH1, CNN, FOX News, Details Magazine, The New York Times and GQ Magazine, who ran a 13 page article in its February 2005 issue-the longest feature story in the history of the magazine.
In April 2004, the Creation Festival was awarded the Gospel
Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes major contributions to the gospel music industry through a company's commitment to the Christian community for 20 or more years.
For more information about Creation Northeast and Northwest, to view the complete program, or for information on purchasing tickets to the event or becoming involved as a volunteer staff member, please visit www.creationfest.com and choose the link to the Festival you would like to attend.
