Singer/songwriter Julie Elias will share the stage with the likes of Building 429, Newsboys, Plumb and others at the LifeLight Texas Festival, scheduled for May 24-26 at Willowood Ranch, Sherman, Texas, in the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The free festival, which has sister events throughout the world-and is coming to Texas for the first time-gathers top Christian music acts for a weekend of family entertainment. Elias, who will be performing songs from her debut CD, A Wild Rose, will be featured on the Triple Shot Café Stage Friday night and the Main Stage Saturday afternoon for the Memorial Day Weekend festival.

"When I met the LifeLight organization-I should say, the LifeLight family, as they seem to be a close-knit team-I knew they were joined by a common love for God's people and a heart for worship," Elias says. "They do amazing festivals across the country and missions internationally. What is so especially cool is that the festival offers free admission. I hope this brings a ton of people who might not otherwise come to such an event! I am blessed and excited to be a part of the festival's debut in Texas!"

Elias has strong ties to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, where she currently is serving as Artist-in-Residence at White's Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, Texas, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, one of the 10 largest Methodist congregations in the nation, with an average attendance of 3,400 on Sundays.

"What a blessing to have the LifeLight Festival come to our area and bring thousands and thousands of people to hear God's message through music," Elias says. "I am hopeful that the entire Dallas-Ft. Worth area will be impacted by this event."

LifeLight Communications has been producing free Christian music festivals since 1998, when its anchor event, LifeLight South Dakota Festival, was founded. By offering free admission, LifeLight's goal is that all may come and all may hear the Gospel message. The South Dakota event, held in Sioux Falls, S.D., now draws hundreds of thousands of people each year during the Labor Day weekend. The organization has expanded through the years to host festivals in Bethany, Mo., Texas, Guatemala, and Haiti.