How to go
What: SpiritSong 2011
Where: Kings Island Amusement Park
When: July 7-9
Costs: $44.99, one-day adult; $61.99 two days pass; $71.99, three days (includes admission to Kings Island)
By Justin McClelland
Staff Writer
MASON — A number of visitors to Kings Island “find religion” while hurtling down hundreds of feet on the Diamondback or spinning wildly in the air atop the 300 foot WindSeeker.
The park will offer a different way to foster this newfound spirituality with good music and prayer.
Kings Island will host the 18th annual Spirit Song Festival from July 7-9.
The three-day festival features 19 contemporary Christian rock performers with a national headline act each night.
In between music sessions, Christian speakers and seminars are held. The headline musical performers on Thursday are TobyMac; on Friday it is Casting Crowns and Saturday it is Thousand Foot Krutch.
“SpiritSong offers a unique and fun way to bring top Christian artists and speakers to a place that people love to visit,” said Richard Young, director of operations for Premier Festivals, the promoter of SpiritSong.
Young said that many church groups attend festivals as part of a summer retreat because it gives their members an opportunity to have a good time and experience the camaraderie of one another in an atmosphere far different from a church.
“Spirit Song is a one -of-a-kind festival that brings together many major acts from around the country,” said Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig. “Every year it gets bigger.”
The full list of performers includes:
Thursday: TobyMac, Matt Pitt, Newsboys, RED, Samestate
Friday: Skillet, Bob Lenz, Jeremy Camp, Family Force 5, Group 1 Crew, Finding Favour
Saturday: Chris Tomlin, Tom Richter, 10th Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Disciple, Anthem Lights.
Ticket prices, which include all-day admission to the park and Boomerang Bay are $44.99 for a one-day adult, $61.99 for two days, and $71.99 for all three days. Group rates for 30 or more are also available.
All performances take place in the 10,000-seat Timberwolf Amphitheatre, which has outdoor, theatre-style reserved seating.