Why This is The Summer You Should Finally Go to a Christian Music Festival [SURVIVAL GUIDE]

creation festival

The smell of summer in the air, grass underneath your feet and your favorite Christian musician performing live on stage just a few feet from where you're standing: it sounds like a concert lover's dream come true. But the sheer amount of planning, packing, and the very crowds themselves can be an intimidating thought to a rookie on the festival scene. BREATHEcast has rounded up the details on 2015's biggest outdoor music festivals, along with a guide for what you need to know before you hit the road.  

If you've wanted to go to a festival in the past, but hesitated, know this: there has never been a better year to get started. The biggest acts in Christian music (we're talking Lecrae, Tobymac, for King & Country and the Newsboys) figure heavily into the line-ups on the festival circuit this year, and there's no better place to see your favorite acts. This summer, don't let anything stop you. 

Alive Festival (June 17-20) : Skillet, NeedtoBreathe, TobyMac, Lecrae, for King & Country, Kari Jobe, John Mark McMillan, and Passion Worship are just some of the headlining acts for this festival, which takes place in Ohio's Atwood Lake Park. A beautiful beach and beach house for concert-goers to cool off between their favorite acts, as well as a special "inflatable zone" (bounce house heaven) are highlights. 

Creation Northeast (June 24-27): Held on a 300-acre campground in the middle of Pennsylvania's Allegheny mountains, Creation is arguably the ultimate Christian music festival. The five-day long event will host TobyMac, Lecrae, Switchfoot, Skillet, Natalie Grant and Blanca in addition to a long list of newcomers and chart-toppers alike. With an on-site baptism service, a community candle-lighting and spontaneous worship led by thousands of music lovers, Creation aims to provide a spiritual experience like no other. In addition to providing seven stages of live music and multiple daytime activities, Creation also hosts a music tournament on its "indie" stage, in which up to twenty bands play live for a chance to be named the "Festival winner."

Sonshine Festival (July 16-18): Skillet, the Newsboys, Lecrae and Colton Dixon will perform in Somserset, Wisconsin at the Somerset Ampitheatre Campgrounds. An "Extreme Fun Zone" with water slides and a bootcamp challenge, in addition to late-night electronic dance party, will keep festival attendees active from morning until late in the evenings. 

Kingdom Bound (July 22-27): If the lineup for Sonshine Festival sounds great, but you can't make it out to Minnesota, you can find most of the same artists performing the following week as Kingdom Bound. Lecrae will also be making an appearance at Darien, NY's Kingdom Bound festival. The scenic Darien Lake provides the setting where the Newsboys, for King & Country, Casting Crowns, Moriah Peters, and Plumb will headline. Darien Lake (located outside of Rochester) happens to also have an amusement park with thrill rides and family-friendly attractions that festival-goers can visit. For those camping on site, late-night karaoke and campfires with surprise guests are just some of the perks.

Rock the Desert (August 5-8): For those on the west coast that would like to celebrate summer with Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor and co. along with festival favorites Thousand Foot Krutch and Family Force 5, this is the festival for you. With a skatepark open for attendees (an entire stage will be at the skatepark), this event in Midland, Texas aims to draw a younger audience. 

Once you've determined the festival for you, the next step is preparation. While it may seem to put a damper on the fun, if you're camping out, spontaneity is not the name of the game. Try to think of the planning process as part of building anticipation for your amazing event, and you may not dread it as much.

If you can only choose one provision to bring to your campsite, it should be bottled water. Buy a case to have on hand for every person in your party. And while festival food is a viable option for some meals, it can get pricey (and time-consuming) to stand in line and buy food every time hunger strikes. Carb and protein heavy snacks that don't require refrigeration, like granola bars, trail mix, raisins and dates, can withstand high temperatures and be stashed in mason jars (if your campground allows glass) or Ziploc bags. Aim to bring enough provisions to at least eat a big breakfast every morning without having to slog through a crowd -this will keep your energy up and hopefully give you a refreshing break from the relentless presence of a thousand other people.  If permitted, a French press for coffee might save your mornings.

As far as clothing goes, resist the temptation to bring your biggest splurge or newest trend item. Aim for practicality - bring a durable raincoat, a full-coverage bathing suit, loose and comfortable shorts, a cozy, campfire worthy sweatshirt, a week's worth of modest tees and at least two pairs of closed-toed shoes that you don't mind ruining.  Dry shampoo, extra deodorant, spray-on sunscreen and an aloe-based soothing lotion are also essentials. If you're able to bring a small bucket, a travel-sized laundry detergent, and a clothesline to string through your campsite to hang clothes and towels to dry, you won't regret it.

If you can interpret maps, scope out the parking situation and see how far your car will be from your assigned campground. Have cash on hand upon your arrival for the parking fee. Make sure you arrive at your destination with enough time to set up your gear and scope out the area before you hit the concerts. And have a "go bag" with essentials (ID, a bit of cash, and your smart phone) at the ready for the duration of the festival: ideally something small, resilient and with a wristband or belt-clip. Agree with your site-mates on a safe place to keep your car keys, extra cash, credit cards and expensive electronics (investment in a small safe is not a bad idea) and leave that stuff in there; otherwise, trust, you're going to lose it.

Although the festival experience can feel like a blurry mess in retrospect, it's important to remember that the friendships formed while at the campgrounds don't necessarily have to end when the event does. Keep an open mind toward the people you meet. Go out of your way to be respectful, even when others don't, and you will find yourself meeting like-minded folks. Meeting new friends and worshipping together in front of a campfire might even edge out Lecrae's live performance for your favorite festival memory.