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((short description|Christian music festivals held in the United States))
((for|the United Kingdom festival|Creation Fest))
((Use mdy dates|date=December 2017))
((More citations needed|date=June 2007))
((Infobox music festival
| name         =Creation Festival
| image        =Creation Festival from Lookout.JPG
| caption      =Creation Northeast 2006
| location     = Agape Farm<br>[[Mount Union, Pennsylvania]] ((refn|group=nb|The northwest Creation Festival operated at the Benton-Franklin Fairgrounds in [[Kennewick, Washington]].))
| years_active = 1979–2022 ((refn|group=nb|Hiatuses: 1995, 2006, 2020, 2021<br/>The northwest Creation Festival operated from 1998 to 2017, and as with the original Creation Festival, it was also on hiatus in 2006.))
| founders     = Harry Thomas Jr. and Timothy Landis
| dates        =
| genre        = [[Contemporary Christian music]]
| website      = ((URL|http://creationfest.com))
| organizer    = Come Alive International
))

'''Creation Festival''', commonly shortened to '''Creation''', was an annual four-day [[Christian music festival]] in the United States. According to its organizers, it was the "Nation's Largest Christian Music Festival."<ref name=official>((cite web |url=http://www.creationfest.com/ |title=Creation Festivals |work=www.creationfest.com |access-date=March 1, 2010))</ref> Average attendance was between 50,000 and 100,000 annually.<ref>((cite web |url=https://www.sonicbids.com/Opportunity/OpportunityView.aspx?opportunity_id=17171&account_id=0 |title=sonicbids |work=www.sonicbids.com/ |access-date=July 24, 2010))</ref> In late March 2023, the festival's website included a [[pop-up ad|pop-up window]] announcing the end of the longstanding event, thanking all who had taken part, and providing statistics on the number of people affected over the years. Ticket holders were promised refunds and launch of a "New Vision for 2024" was mentioned.<ref name="official" />

The four-day festivals hosted more than sixty Christian rock, contemporary, and worship bands. Also featured were Christian speakers and authors, a fringe stage (hosting mostly up-and-coming and/or harder Christian rock bands), children's stage (kids' entertainers geared towards smaller children), Late Nite Cafe, camping, [[petting zoo]], [[baptism]]s, [[Eucharist|communion]], [[fireworks]], [[extreme sports]], volleyball, giveaways, candlelight service, prayer tent, youth pastor VIP tent, and other experience-based activities. The festival was a member of the [[Christian Festival Association]].<ref name=official/> The Creation Festivals were conducted on the basis of purpose, vision, and belief. The festival's main purpose was "To present the [[Gospel]] through music, teaching and any other creative means so that those attending will be drawn to salvation and discipleship in Christ."((Citation needed|date=September 2012)) Their vision was for the festival to be a time of prayerful reflection and a time for all attendees, on an individual level, to let Christ into their lives through music, teaching and the spoken word. The overall belief of the Creation Festival was that the lord and savior, [[Jesus Christ]], son of [[God]], died on the cross to take away all of mankind's sin, but then was raised from the dead and given eternal life. Therefore, from the love and mercy given by God, Christians as a people must share the message of Christ.<ref name="CreationNE">((cite web|url=http://www.creationfest.com/ne |title=Creation 2012 Northeast &#124; Creation Festivals |publisher=Creationfest.com |date= |access-date=September 24, 2012))</ref>

The festival's slogans were "A Tribute to Our Creator", and "the highlight of your summer... maybe your life."<ref name=official/>

==History==
===Creation Festival (Northeast)===
[[Image:Peter Furler2.jpg|thumb|Peter Furler, former lead singer of the [[Newsboys]], performing in 2007]]

Rev. Dr. Harry Thomas Jr. and Timothy Landis founded Creation East in 1979 in Muddy Run Park in [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=nonprofit>((cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-pennsylvania/950782-1.html |title=Nonprofit hopes Creation breaks even |last=Gvozdas |first=Susan |date=July 4, 2003 |work=allbusiness.com |publisher=Central Penn Business Journal |access-date=January 1, 2010))</ref>  After just five years, the festival outgrew Muddy Run Park and had to change venues.  In 1984, the Creation Festival was moved to the Agape Campground in [[Mount Union, Pennsylvania]] when the board of Jesus Ministries offered to rent out the area for the festival. This year was also the first year for a festival-wide Communion, which has since become a yearly tradition.

Creation '88 marked the festival's tenth year celebration with the largest crowd ever to participate in the festival. The 1988 festival concluded with a large fireworks display, which continues to be a memorable part of all Creation Festivals. The first fireworks display at the Creation Festival was in 1983.

In 1992, the festival opened a second stage, "The Fringe Stage". Due to the festival's positive response to the concept of multiple stages, by 1994 both stages were operating continually and in tandem to provide more variety and availability of bands and speakers.<ref name="CreationNE"/>

Due to thunderstorms and severe flooding, the festival was canceled in 1995 and 2006. In 1996 and 2003, the festival was held in [[Hershey, Pennsylvania]], with the concerts taking place in the [[Hersheypark]] complex arenas. Fans attending the four-day festival were offered a reduced price ticket to Hersheypark and camped alongside a large hill.

In 2008, the festival started an annual tour, passing through more than 30 cities across the U.S.<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/creation-festival-concludes-first-ever-tour-35591/ |title=Creation Festival Concludes First-Ever Tour |last=Leichman |first=Aaron |date=November 25, 2008 |work=christianpost.com |publisher=The Christian Post |access-date=January 1, 2010))</ref>

In 2010, Creation Northeast was held at Agape Farm in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, from June 30 to July 3.<ref name="Hanson">((cite web |url=http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/news/69616277.html |title=Concert to bring crowds to town |last=Hanson |first=Kevin |date=November 9, 2009 |work=pnwlocalnews.com |publisher=Enumclaw Courier Herald |access-date=January 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129185738/http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/news/69616277.html |archive-date=November 29, 2009 |url-status=dead ))</ref>

After Tim Landis stepped out of his original role, Rev. Dr. Harry Thomas Jr. continued to be involved, focusing mainly on expanding the ministry of the festival, and passed on the majority of the production and booking to Bill Darpino.<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.gospelmusic.org/industry-update-bill-darpino-executive-director-of-creation-festivals-on-the-need-for-focused-experimentation/ |title=Industry Update: Bill Darpino, Executive Director of Creation Festivals, On the Need for Focused Experimentation |date=February 12, 2015 |access-date=February 18, 2018 |publisher=Gospel Music Association  ))</ref> Thomas preached a short message at Creation every year.

In December 2017, Thomas was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting minors in [[Medford, New Jersey|Medford Township, New Jersey]] over a 16-year period.<ref>((cite news|url=http://abc7ny.com/prosecutor-nj-pastor-sexually-assaulted-kids-for-16-years/2756195/|title=Prosecutor: NJ pastor sexually assaulted kids for 16 years|date=December 8, 2017|publisher=WABC-TV|access-date=December 8, 2017))</ref><ref>((cite news|url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/crime/2017/12/07/harry-thomas-come-alive-church-medford-sexual-assault/930563001/|title=Pastor at Come Alive Church accused of juvenile sex crimes|newspaper=Courier-Post|publisher=USA Today Network|access-date=December 8, 2017|last=Walsh|first=Jim|date=December 7, 2017))</ref> In February 2018, Thomas pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault, and was sentenced in July 2018 to 18 years in prison with no eligibility for parole.<ref>((cite news |url=http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/02/16/medford-pastor-guilty-plea/ |title=Medford Township Pastor Pleaded Guilty To Sexually Assaulting 5 Juveniles |date=February 16, 2018 |access-date=February 18, 2018 |publisher=CBS Philly ))</ref><ref>((cite news |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/28/ex-pastor-sentenced-to-18-years-in-child-sex-abuse/ |title=Ex-pastor sentenced to 18 years in child sexual abuse case |date=July 28, 2018 |work=[[The Washington Times]] |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 2, 2021 ))</ref> Thomas died in April 2022.<ref>((cite news |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/june/obit-harry-thomas-dead-creation-festival-child-sexual-abuse.html |title=Died: Harry Thomas, Cofounder of Creation Festival and Child Rapist |date=June 14, 2022 |work=Christianity Today |first=Daniel |last=Silliman |access-date=December 10, 2022 ))</ref>

The event was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=covid2020>((cite news |url=https://www.newreleasetoday.com/news_detail.php?newsid=4679 |title=Creation Festival Postponed Due To COVID-19 Concerns |date=March 31, 2020 |website=NewReleaseToday |access-date=September 18, 2020 ))</ref>

In 2022, Creation Northeast returned to Agape Farm from June 29 to July 2.<ref>((cite news |url=https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/religion/2022/06/nearly-70-acts-set-for-creation-festival/ |title=Nearly 70 acts set for Creation Festival |date=June 18, 2022 |newspaper=The Sentinel |publication-place=[[Lewistown, Pennsylvania]] |first=Josh |last=Yoder |access-date=June 29, 2022 ))</ref>

===Creation Northwest (1998–2017)===
In 1998, the festival expanded to the west with the addition of "Creation Northwest" (aka Creation West) at the [[Gorge Amphitheatre]] in [[George, Washington]]. In 2010, Creation Festival Northwest moved to the Enumclaw Expo Center in [[Enumclaw, Washington]].<ref name="Hanson" /> Following the 2013 festival, Creation pulled out of Enumclaw after negotiating a contract for a new venue at the Benton-Franklin Fairgrounds in [[Kennewick, Washington]] starting in 2014.<ref>((cite news |newspaper=Enumclaw Patch |title=Haters Win! Creation Fest Picking Up Its Ball and Going Elsewhere |url=http://enumclaw.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/haters-win--creation-fest-picking-up-its-ball-and-going-elsewhere |first=Terry |last=Richardson |date=October 24, 2013 |access-date=November 14, 2013 |publisher=[[Patch Media|Patch]] ))</ref>

In January 2018, Creation Festivals announced postponement of the Northwest festival until 2019, with multiple options for those who had already purchased 2018 tickets.<ref>((cite news |url=http://www.newreleasetoday.com/news_detail.php?newsid=2914 |title=Creation Northwest Postponed Until 2019 |date=January 9, 2018 |access-date=February 18, 2018 |website=NewReleaseToday ))</ref> Creation Northwest announced in December 2018 their decision to cancel for 2019.<ref>((cite news |url=https://cnnw.com/creation-northwest-canceled-again-this-year-but-aiming-for-2020/ |title=Creation Northwest canceled again this year, but aiming for 2020 |date=February 2019 |work=Christian News Northwest |first=John |last=Fortmeyer |access-date=September 18, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812080621/https://cnnw.com/creation-northwest-canceled-again-this-year-but-aiming-for-2020/ |archive-date=August 12, 2019 ))</ref> Creation Northwest announced in September 2019 via their "creationwest" Facebook page that they would not relaunch in 2020.

===Other concerts (2014–2016)===
Creation operated the [[Sonshine Festival]] from 2014 to 2016.<ref>((cite news |url=http://www.gospelmusic.org/news-creation-festivals-goes-worldwide-with-live-streaming/ |title=NEWS: Creation Festivals Goes Worldwide with Live Streaming |date=June 26, 2015 |publisher=Gospel Music Association |access-date=October 3, 2016 |quote=Creation Festivals currently produces ... Sonshine Festival ))</ref><ref>((cite news |url=http://www.willmarradio.com/news/breaking-sonshine-music-festival-relocating-to-wisconsin/article_0e482d9c-6bc5-11e4-b2ad-7769157a6071.html |title=Breaking: Sonshine Music Festival Relocating to Wisconsin |date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2016 |publisher=Willmar Radio |quote=Sonshine is now part of the Creation family of festivals ))</ref> Citing financial reasons, Sonshine 2017 was paused, with "hope and desire to see [it] return in 2018", according to the festival's webpage.<ref>((cite web |url=https://creationfest.com/sonshine/ |title=Sonshine Festival |access-date=February 18, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009083654/https://creationfest.com/sonshine/ |archive-date=October 9, 2017 ))</ref>

Creation Festival acquired the rights to the [[Ichthus Festival]] in May 2013. As the 2013 concert was cancelled in December 2012, the group planned to host a Creation Ichthus Festival 2014 event. These plans were cancelled on April 12, 2014. Instead, the Creation Ichthus Festival 2015 was held from July 8 to 11, 2015, at the Ichthus Farm in Wilmore, Kentucky. Artists included Red, Fireflight, Newsboys, Relient K and more.<ref>((cite news |url=http://www.centralkynews.com/jessaminejournal/news/jj-ichthus-music-festival-to-return-in-2014-at-kentucky-horse-park-20130508,0,5064932.story |title=Ichthus music festival to return in 2014 at Kentucky Horse Park |date=May 8, 2013 |newspaper=The Jessamine Journal |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130829194951/http://www.centralkynews.com/jessaminejournal/news/jj-ichthus-music-festival-to-return-in-2014-at-kentucky-horse-park-20130508,0,5064932.story |url-status=dead ))</ref> The Creation Ichthus Festival was discontinued in 2016,<ref>((Cite news | last = Ward | first = Karla | title = Planned renewal of Ichthus Festival is called off until 2015 | work = Lexington Herald-Leader | access-date = February 18, 2018 | date = April 12, 2014 | url = http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/12/3193390/planned-renewal-of-ichthus-festival.html ))</ref><ref>((cite news |url=http://www.kentucky.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/copious-notes/article59319743.html |title=Ichthus Festival canceled, again |first=Rich |last=Copley |department=Copious Notes |date=February 9, 2016 |access-date=February 18, 2018 |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader ))</ref> and [[Asbury University]] acquired rights to the Ichthus name that year,<ref>((cite web |url=https://www.asbury.edu/news-events/news/2016/05/06/26161 |title=Asbury Obtains Rights to Ichthus Name and Legacy |publisher=Asbury University |date=May 6, 2016 |access-date=February 18, 2018 ))</ref> later reviving the Ichthus Festival in 2021.

==Notes==
((reflist|group=nb))

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* ((Official website|1=http://www.creationfest.com/))

((coord|40.28516|N|77.91624|W|source:placeopedia|display=title))

[[Category:Christian music festivals]]
[[Category:Music festivals in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Music festivals in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Defunct music festivals]]

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