SUMMER ENDORSEMENTS FOR TEACHERS START MAY 13th!

Expand your opportunities. Advance your career. Get SET this summer with summer endorsements for teachers.

Arrow

Greenville College Announces New AgapeFest Location and Date

Published: April 13, 2021

Greenville College has scheduled AgapeFest for April 26, 2014, at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. The 37-year-old festival is shifting from a two-day event in Greenville, Ill., to a one-day event in St. Charles. Festival organizers believe the new format will improve fan experiences, enhance student-learning opportunities, and make AgapeFest more accessible to new audiences.

AgapeFest is the only Christian music festival serving St. Louis, the Metro East, central and southern Illinois, and it offers a variety of music on multiple stages. In recent years AgapeFest has featured artists such as Audio Adrenaline, David Crowder Band, Lecrae, Needtobreathe, Owl City, Tenth Avenue North, Third Day, TobyMac, and Switchfoot. AgapeFest complements live music with an energetic festival atmosphere that has included recreational activities, Christian retailers, and opportunities to learn about local ministries as well as international social justice issues. AgapeFest is a student-led ministry of Greenville College that offers unique learning opportunities for students who plan and implement all aspects of the festival, from contacting bands and coordinating event logistics to promoting the festival and forming ministry partnerships.

Greenville College Announces New AgapeFest Location and DateAgapeFest has enjoyed a long-term relationship with the Bond County Fairgrounds in Greenville, Ill., where it has hosted a number of successful events and created positive memories for countless Christian music fans. The Bond County Fairgrounds have been an excellent partner for a number of years. However, weather-related issues prove to be an ongoing challenge at the fairgrounds. Festival organizers identified the need for a secure, climate-controlled facility large enough to accommodate AgapeFest fans. Greenville College students spend countless hours throughout the year planning and preparing for AgapeFest, and it is important to mitigate the negative impact weather can have on festival attendance.

The Family Arena provides a state of the art performance center with ample indoor seating for AgapeFest fans and an adjacent parking lot with one million square feet of paved surface that can be used for other festival activities. The Family Arena staff offer years of concert experience to assist with AgapeFest logistics. It is a secure location two miles from the St. Charles Historic District near a variety of hotels and restaurants with existing directional signage to help visitors find the event. Conveniences at the family arena such as handicap seating, family restrooms and diaper changing stations may make AgapeFest more inviting for families and new groups of fans this year. For Greenville College students planning the festival, the new location will reduce time spent managing weather-related issues, and it will give them practical experience organizing an event in a modern concert venue.

Switching to a one-day format does not limit AgapeFests potential impact in the region. The Family Arena offers additional space and new features that allow AgapeFest to produce an exciting one-day event. Fans can still expect a variety of Christian music on multiple stages, and they can now experience all of AgapeFest in one day, which reduces costs for the festival and the fans.

Moving from Greenville, Ill., to St. Charles, Mo., will require an adjustment for fans and AgapeFest organizers. For some it may require more travel, and for others the festival will now be closer. For years, loyal fans have made the road trip to Greenville from towns throughout Illinois and Missouri. St. Charles offers an exciting new location for loyal AgapeFest fans, and it opens opportunities to reach new fans in the St. Louis area.

Check www.agapefest.com for the latest information. AgapeFest will release information soon about 2014 ticket prices. Also, check the website for artist announcements as AgapeFest forms its 2014 music lineup.

A list of frequently asked questions and answers regarding the new location is available online.

About AgapeFest

AgapeFest remains focused on creating memorable experiences for festivalgoers by glorifying God and furthering the Kingdom of Christ through music, service and fellowship. God has blessed AgapeFest with 37 years of ministry that have touched the lives of thousands of Christian music fans and Greenville College students.

Since 1977 the student-coordinated festival has featured top-selling songwriters and performers in the contemporary Christian music industry. The first student director, Chris Marsh, was pleased to host approximately 1,000 young people to the Agape Music Festival (as it was previously known), but the true fruits of this labor were displayed when speaker Bob Laurent gave an invitation to accept Christ. "A high school-aged girl came running up to the front," Marsh said. "I can't recall how many came forward that night, I think it was something like 29, but that first girl gave me an immediate sense of satisfaction that God had used us."

AgapeFests ongoing vision includes promoting Jesus, promoting experiential learning, and promoting Greenville College. The festival has grown in numerous ways throughout its history. The festival now hosts a variety of artists on multiple stages, and a growing list of vendors and ministry partners serve the festival crowd.

About Greenville College

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Ill., 45 miles east of St. Louis.

Ready for your next steps?