Greenville College Presents AgapeFest 2012
Published: April 13, 2021
Thousands of music fans will gather at the Bond County Fairgrounds in Greenville, Ill., on May 4 and 5 to enjoy AgapeFest 2012 featuring Switchfoot and TobyMac. Additional artists include Rush of Fools, The Rocket Summer, Attaboy, Me In Motion, Shonlock, Reilly and many more.
AgapeFest 2012 Headliners
AgapeFest will feature TobyMac on Friday evening. After experiencing widespread success with dc Talk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac launched a successful solo career. In an era of declining music sales he has seen his sales increase with each new album release. He took home his first Grammy as a solo artist in 2009 after receiving nominations for each of his first three solo projects. TobyMac is sure to delight the crowd at AgapeFest with his combination of rock, hip-hop, and heartfelt lyrics that resonate with people from all walks of life.
Switchfoot, the celebrated rock band from San Diego, will close out the festival on Saturday night. Switchfoot has enjoyed Christian and mainstream success throughout the last decade. When Switchfoot released "Hello Hurricane" in 2009, it symbolized a rebirth of sorts, and the album earned them a Grammy. The band's latest album, "Vice Verses," debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. Switchfoot's energetic live performance will keep AgapeFest fans rocking into the night on Saturday.
What to expect this year
This year's festival offers music for the whole family with a variety of genres on two stages. Several artists will be making their first appearance at AgapeFest. Slospeak Records has partnered with AgapeFest to sponsor second stage. WIBI's Opening Act 5 contest winner will perform Saturday on main stage.
Every year, the AgapeFest team explores new ways to integrate both music and ministry. AgapeFest has partnered with Not For Sale, a Christ-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to the cause of abolishing modern-day slavery across the globe. Not For Sale will deliver a message from main stage on Saturday as well as providing workshops and ministry opportunities throughout the weekend.
The artist merchandise and vendor plaza allows visitors to learn about local ministries and purchase items from their favorite bands and other Christian retailers. Recreational events like kickball and ultimate Frisbee are scheduled throughout the weekend. As always, festivalgoers can enjoy free camping, artist meet-and-greets, a late night coffee house performance on Friday, and other surprises throughout the weekend.
AgapeFest's Unique Student Learning Experience
AgapeFest was created by Greenville College students and continues as a student-coordinated festival, with the guidance of a small group of faculty and administrative staff. As students work through the challenges of producing a Christian music event of this size, they experience the music industry in the backyard of their college home.
A small group of student leaders oversee artist relations, security, public relations, marketing, ministry, volunteers and grounds. Numerous students volunteer to successfully organize and implement the 36-year strong event. A great deal of learning takes place throughout the process, and students maintain a level of professionalism that rivals other corporate-run festivals.
"As the largest student-run music festival in the nation, our staff is unpaid and accomplishes each task on top of our busy college-student schedules," said AgapeFest Director Carli Marlowe. "It is an honor to lead a group of such enthusiastic and hardworking students. We love that we have this opportunity to serve people and love God through this festival."
AgapeFest History
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."
The festival has grown in numerous ways in its thirty-six years. The one-day is now a two-day festival and hosts a variety of artists on multiple stages. Attendance has grown from 1,000 people in 1977 to a festival high of 6,500 in 1990, and typically averages around 5,000. Once a modest production held on the college soccer field, AgapeFest now makes its home at the Bond County Fairgrounds. A growing list of vendors serves the large festival crowd.
Ticket Information
Advance ticket purchases can be made through iTickets or by calling 800-965-9324. Gate ticket prices are slightly higher. For more information, visit www.agapefest.com or call (618) 664-1806.
Gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 4 and 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. Main stage music begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Complete List of Artists*
*Artists subject to change without notice
Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,500 traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis.
