SpiritSong
Kings Mills, Ohio
Groups can embrace the joy of life by swaying to a song of praise one minute and screaming with their friends on a record-breaking roller coaster the next at SpiritSong. This contemporary Christian music festival takes place at Kings Island, an amusement park outside of Cincinnati.
For more than 20 years, groups have traveled from near and far to attend the June festival, which includes entrance to Kings Island and Soak City water park. Top artists, such as Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, TobyMac and Rend Collective, perform at the amusement park’s 10,000-seat, outdoor Timberwolf Amphitheatre.
Groups can choose from one-day, two-day or three-day tickets to the festival, but planners should book early, since the festival often sells out.
While You’re There: Guests can wander the 364-acre Kings Island for thrills at any of the park’s more than 100 rides. Adrenaline lovers will appreciate the park’s 15 roller coasters, including the world’s longest wooden roller coaster, the Beast, and the record-breaking Banshee. The adjacent Soak Island offers more than 50 water attractions, such as the Tropical Plunge, where participants can choose from six different waterslides in one seven-story complex.
Nearby Cincinnati also has a wide range of attractions, from cultural museums to an acclaimed zoo. Opened in 1875, the Cincinnati Zoo holds the distinction of being the second-oldest zoo in the nation. Guests can admire more than 580 animal species, take a train ride or experience a 4-D Theater production.
Creation Northwest
Kennewick, Washington
Thousands of candles fill everyone’s field of vision for a powerful symbolic moment when participants hear the words “You are the light of the world.” The candle-lighting service at Creation Northwest creates a seeming “city set on a hill” when all artificial lights turn off so that the only illumination comes from attendees’ tiny candles.
This spectacle often becomes participants’ favorite moment of the four-day festival. Each year at the end of July, thousands gather at the Benton County Fairgrounds to listen to top Christian artists, with genres ranging from country to indie and hip hop.
Organizers have already announced part of the music lineup for this year, including Skillet, Relient K, Family Force 5 and Bread of Stone. Groups not only choose which bands’ acts to attend, but they can also choose their other activities, such as baptisms, a community Communion ceremony, dance parties, an extreme sports show and the Creation Art Gallery.
While You’re There: The Tri-Cities consist of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. Riverfront parks and 67 miles of paved pedestrian and bike trails wind their way through the three cities.
The Sacagawea Heritage Trail is one of the most popular trails, since it connects the three cities’ waterfront parks with interpretive signs along the way that explain the area’s historic and natural heritage, such as its importance on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Outdoor enthusiasts will love the nearby Columbia, Yakima and Snake rivers, which all offer boating and river cruising. Many groups also like the J&S Dreamland Express, which features an open-air, multicar train ride through Kennewick’s Columbia Park.
Lifest
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
What began as a simple 5K run to raise money to teach youth about God’s love has developed into one of the largest Christian music festivals in the country. Life Promotions started Lifest in 1990 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but music didn’t enter the picture until 1999. Now, the four-day July event draws about 20,000 attendees daily to listen to the festival’s 100 artists on six stages.
The Wisconsin festival showcases the talents of Christian music’s top billboard artists, such as Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Matt Maher and Hawk Nelson. Inspirational speakers, comedians and prayer leaders also fill the festivals stages throughout the event.
Instead of limiting the experience to passive listening, groups can stay active participating in the event’s 5K run, art workshop, sports activities and inflatable games. A new photo scavenger hunt lets groups hunt for photos of a variety of items with a chance to win a meet-and-greet session with one of the headliners that night.
While You’re There: A collection of more than 200 historic airplanes highlights the marvels of the golden age of aviation at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh. The 1,600-acre museum illustrates the impressive evolution of aviation technology with full-size aircrafts, art galleries and interactive exhibits.
The city also boasts several other museums, historic homes, art galleries and shopping opportunities. For an overview of the area, the Oshkosh Public Museum delves into the heritage of the Lake Winnebago region of Wisconsin with interactive exhibits. Guests can imagine themselves a Civil War soldier, a Wisconsin logger and other former Oshkosh citizens at various exhibits.
