Staff report

GREENVILLE — It all started 15 concerts ago, with a dream and a desire to bring a Light to the Darke. A small committee met with a determination to bring Contemporary Christian music to the Darke County Fairgrounds. The result was the Illumination Festival. Since that first event in September 2007, the festival has continued to grow and bring some of the biggest names in Christian music to Greenville. The first band to headline the event is returning in 2022 to help celebrate the milestone concert.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, Big Daddy Weave will return to the main stage at the Illumination Festival to inspire and entertain concert goers. The band will be joined by Mac Powell (formerly of Third Day), Riley Clemmons and Attaboy in this all-star line-up of bands.

In addition to the concert on the main stage in the evening, the festival will continue to offer food trucks, fun activities and a Coffeehouse Stage throughout the day. As always, Fish Choice Food Pantry will kick off its annual food drive during the Illumination Festival and event goers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and drop them off at the entrance to the fairgrounds.

Big Daddy Weave continues to offer praise even after facing hardships and trials. The band lost one of its founding members, Jay Weaver. Weaver was the brother of Big Daddy Weave frontman Mike Weaver. The songs they sing continue to resonate even more today and not only inspire concert goers, but the band itself. Songs like Redeemed, Let it Rise, Everytime I Breathe are not only some of Big Daddy Weave’s biggest hits they have also become staples as praise and worship songs in churches around the world.

Mac Powell was the frontman for Third Day until 2018 when the band disbanded. Powell and his bandmates had a string of hits and Powell earned the Male Vocalist of the Year award from the Gospel Music Association in 2002. Songs like Cry Out to Jesus, Me, Revelation and Trust in Jesus made the band a regular on the Christian music charts. After producing a couple of country albums, Powell is back with his first solo Contemporary Christian CD, New Creation.

Riley Clemmons has been wowing audiences with her voice from a very young age and has had over 200 million global streams and 50 million YouTube streams of her music. In 2018, she released her self-titled debut, which quickly made its way to #13 on the Billboard Heat Seakers Album Chart. In 2021, she became the youngest ever nominated for the K-Love Awards’ Female Artist of the Year.

Attaboy is known for being able to reach young people with their positive message. The Indiana-based band has been singing at schools, youth conferences and concerts for many years. The band combines its energetic music with a positive message while sharing personal experiences of taking a stand for what is right.

For more information about the 2022 Illumination Festival, visit www.illuminationfestival.org. Tickets are available through the website or through www.itickets.com.