If you love inspirational music, be sure to head to the Altona Centennial Park on Saturday, Aug. 17 for the second annual Gospel Music Festival.
Eight acts are scheduled to take the stage from noon to 7 p.m., each bringing their own unique style and sound, and providing a full day of entertainment for the whole family.
Organizer Larry Wiebe says he and fellow committee members Harv Hildebrand, Pete Letkeman, Alan Friesen, Ernie Buhler, and Dennis Reimer are thrilled to bring this event back to the community.
“We will feature families and groups from across the Pembina Valley, as we have such an abundance of musical talent around us.”
Wiebe adds, “What we have is the whole line-up from last year coming back to perform again. We asked, and it was an instant yes. They said they had a ball last year, that they loved the structure and the timing, and they loved the audience. They were eager to return.”
The committee is also happy to have experienced sound technician Jessie Miller return to lend a hand.
Committee member Pete Letkeman has designed and built a special stage for this year’s festival, which will be available for other groups to rent.
“We think it’s spectacular,” Wiebe says.
Wiebe says people can expect the same format as last year. Each one-hour show will feature a variety of traditional and current favourites, performed by popular artists from across the region.
First in line are Pete, Elsie, Harv, and Joyce, followed by Old Friends, featuring James Friesen and Ed Wayne.
The Peters Family takes the mic next, followed by the Glorybound Quartet, the Martens Brothers, the Glen Cross Quartet, and the Martin Elias Family.
The Quonset Brothers will round out the day. Gaining fame with their song “Mennonites put the Oba in Manitoba,” the local band has captivated their audiences for the past decade and are thrilled to bring their gospel styles back to Altona.
While admission to the Gospel Music Festival is free, they do welcome donations. There will also be several opportunities to donate to Altona Youth for Christ (YFC) throughout the day. YFC will have their food trailer on hand, selling burgers, hot dogs, and drinks.
The 2 BRO’ZZ food truck will also be available to soothe your appetite.
“We have a few goals in mind with this endeavour. I think that at the top of the list is the message of the good news that Jesus is reaching His hand out for all of us to hold on to,” Wiebe says. “Secondly, we want to provide good, wholesome music for all ages. Thirdly, we want to provide a venue for the talented people in the area to show the gifts that God has provided. Also, this venue raises a substantial amount of money for Youth for Christ in Altona. This funding helps them provide programs to support youth in Altona and surrounding areas.”
While there will be several picnic shelters available, attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
“We’ve got another really great day planned and based on the numbers from last year, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of lawn chairs,” Wiebe says.
At one point last year they counted about 566 attendees.
“It was phenomenal. We hope to see you there again this year.”
