Canada's First Major Christian Music Festival Hits Ontario Aug. 20

By Justin Camacho, Christian Post Correspondent Sunday, August 14, 2005

One Star Entertainment and FaithLife Financial will be hosting the first annual Encounter Ontario Festival on August 20th at Ontario Place. A first-of-its-kind provincial Christian heritage day, Encounter Ontario will feature over 20 top acts from all over North America with multi-platinum worship team Casting Crowns and GospoCentric recording artist Kurt Carr filling the headlining spots.

Also on the bill, spread out over three stages, will be British Columbia’s Juno Award-winning pianist Greg Sczebel, Brampton’s Carried Away, Oakville’s hard rockin’ Manic Drive, Waterloo’s Kevin Pauls, Kitchener-based wordsmith Titus, Toronto’s Hetti-Marie, gospel singer Patricia Shirley, the Rhema Worship Band, Gary Beals, and Sparrow Records pop-rockers Starfield.

Encounter Director Michelle Dunk says that the Encounter Festival is an attempt to connect Canada to the Christian/Gospel music scene, which, according to Nielsen SoundScan, is the sixth most popular music category in overall music sales.

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“The Christian contemporary music scene in the US has a huge following from music fans of all types and ages,” says Encounter Director Michelle Dunk. “The industry is starting to gain great momentum in Canada in the form of great artists and enthusiastic fans and we think the time is right to put Canada on the Christian music map by making Encounter the largest and best festival of it’s kind.”

And while music will be the main draw for the thousands of fans expected to attend the festival, Encounter Ontario will also feature speakers including Phil Callaway, workshops, and an expo tent filled with representatives from several international ministries.

Admission to Encounter Ontario, which takes place from 10am to 11pm, also includes, as a bonus, admission to Ontario Place amusements, including water park rides, as well as entry into the opening day of the Canadian National Exhibition.

For more information or to purchase tickets, log onto www.encounterontario.com.