MIDLAND For years, fans of Christian music in the Permian Basin had their annual Rock the Desert event to look forward to.
That event, which used to take place in the summer in Midland, reached a hiatus after the 2019 show and has never returned to the stage.
Now, a new Christian music festival, held in conjunction with the Midland County Fair, called HopeFest looks to fill that empty void left by the absence of Rock the Desert.
HopeFest which is put on by Thriving United takes place at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Midland County Horseshoe Arena and will run alongside the Midland County Fair.
The goal is to provide a family-oriented Christian music festival for everyone in the Permian Basin, especially for those who are struggling or knows someone who is.
“We bill it as the biggest Christian music fest in our region since Rock the Desert,” Event Coordinator John James said.
The event will include performances from Christian music groups such as Unspoken, Ty Johnson and the Transform Band, Britt Nicole and Brook Robertson.
Unspoken has performed in the Permian Basin at Rock the Desert numerous times.
“Unspoken has been charted on the Christian billboard music charts many times,” James said. “They’ve been to Midland and they’ve been to Rock the Desert many times in the last 20 years. It’s a group that we know but it’s also a group that we know prides itself on supporting recovering and mental illnesses and substance abuse through their songs. We’re really excited about them. They align themselves perfectly with Thriving United’s mission to heal and rebuild lives.”
Nicole also has some hits on the Christian music charts.
“She’s going to be the more solemn and classic in her approach,” James said of Nicole. “We also have Brooke Robertson who’s a little more hip and edgy and has some hit songs under her belt. Of course, I mentioned Johnson and the Transform Band who perform every Sunday at a service called Transform and they’re apart of the Thriving United organization and it made sense to have them on stage opening for Unspoken.”
Johnson talked about how excited he is to be a part of a new Christian music fest in Midland.
“The whole idea was to have an event where people can come together,” Johnson said. “With everything that we’ve been through as a community and the loss of Christian music festivals like Rock the Desert, this will be really important and we’re happy to have as many people come out and listen to some great music.”
James said it feels great to have this event from three different perspectives.
“The first is that this is a community that loves Christian music,” James said. “We love them. We are a very spiritual and religious region of the state. It’s really good from that perspective. But the organization, Thriving United, is an organization designed around recovery space. People who are recovering from addiction or mental health issues or substance abuse issues or alcoholism, all the proceeds from HopeFest go to help them who are struggling. It’s great from that perspective. Finally, HopeFest is going to be a unique event because it’s tied with the Midland County Fair. So not only will people who get to come to HopeFest get to enjoy these great, chart-topping Christian artists, but they will also have access to everything the Midland County Fair has to offer. So that’s why we think it’s truly a festival. Everything from petting zoo to funnel cakes to a great concert, those are all rolled into one. That’s what makes HopeFest.”
By having the event at the Midland County Fair, James is hopeful they can bring in a large number of attendees.
“There’s no doubt,” James said. “The Midland County Fair is the single largest event, attracting over 20,000 people to the fair every single year. For us to be able to partner with the Midland County Fair, that just makes this whole idea of HopeFest fun and family-friendly. It just puts it in sync. They’re thrilled with the partnership and so are we.”
Executive Director of the Midland County Fair Kasey Kelly is excited to have HopeFest at this year’s fair.
“Midland County Fair is Midland’s largest event with almost 25,000 people,” Kelly said. “It makes sense for us to partner with smaller events and groups that are working on building their bases. We’re always happy to partner with other people and other groups. We’re excited that this partnership has developed.”
James said Thriving United is looking at having HopeFest next year and beyond.
“There are two signature events that will generate the most money for the organization to do its work,” James said. “This is one of them that we expect to do every year. Next month is Suicide Prevention Month and Recovery Month so this event is really the kickoff to the month of September and all the things that go on there.”
If you go
- What: HopeFest.
- When: 4 p.m. Aug. 27.
- Where: The Horseshoe.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/3jr23jhf
