WS Chronicle

In above photo: Kirk Franklin and Jeremy Camp (Submitted photo)

Kirk Franklin, MercyMe and Jeremy Camp to headline two-day event

Special to The Chronicle

Downtown Winston-Salem’s BB&T Ballpark, home of the Winston-Salem Dash baseball team, will be the site of the inaugural “Awakening Music Festival: Sing Your Heart, Loudly.”

The two-day Awakening Music Festival will feature a diverse line-up of Christian music performers co-headlined by Kirk Franklin and MercyMe on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 4 to 10 p.m.

Jeremy Camp will headline Awakening on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 2 to 8 p.m.

“For some time, we’ve explored having concerts and other events at BB&T Ballpark during baseball’s offseason,” Winston-Salem Dash President Geoff Lassiter said. “A great deal of research and due diligence about regional audiences led us to the conclusion that there is a significant consumer demand for a world-class Christian music festival. We’re incredibly proud to have three of Christian music’s leading performers — Kirk Franklin, MercyMe and Jeremy Camp — as headliners for this year’s festival.”

“There is no other major two-day Christian music festival in the Southeast. With that in mind, we believe Awakening will draw people from a wide geographic area to Winston-Salem,” Lassiter said. “We are confident that Awakening will build a loyal regional audience over time and become a major annual event, resulting in more diners at restaurants, more retail shopping, more overnight hotel stays and an overall significant boost to the local economy, particularly to the downtown area.”

He noted that the top four Christian music concerts in America aggregately draw more than 300,000 people over the course of a week.

In addition to Kirk Franklin, MercyMe and Jeremy Camp as headline performers, Lassiter said additional headlining and secondary acts are being cultivated and will include a diverse range of musical performers, speakers and local church groups.

Tickets to the Awakening Music Festival range from $25 to $75 per day.

Group discounts also are available.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 10 to the general public through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com.

Those interested in more information about ticket sales, including group sales opportunities, should call the Winston-Salem Dash office at 336-331-3740.