Organizer: Despite woes, Christian music fest in Valley will return

CHAMPION — Organizers of this summer’s Collide Christian music festival held at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds say lower-than-hoped-for attendance and financial difficulties haven’t put a damper on plans to bring the festival back next year.

“We’re extremely happy with the way things went,” said Cles Holbrook of Champion, the festival director.

Holbrook said the festival brought in about $200,000, which is about half of what was spent to carry out the two-day event. Paid attendance was about 5,000 people.

Holbrook said a first-time event generally loses money. Between loans and other sources, the committee is able to handle the loss, he said.

Holbrook, who also runs the Internet radio station KNET180radio.com, is optimistic that the festival will recoup the first-year losses and reach a break-even point by the end of next year’s concert. Holbrook also works for Coca-Cola.

Work has begun on that event, which will be moved back a week to attract more families with school-age kids and feature better bands, Holbrook said. It is set for Aug. 15 and 16. Last summer’s festival was Aug. 24 and 25, which may have been too close to the start of school for some people, Holbrook said.

Michael W. Smith, one of the most successful Christian male artists in the business, has committed to return next year. Smith, who will release his 20th album next week, has the highest attendance at concerts and highest volume of record sales in the industry, Holbrook said. He got his start nearly 25 years ago playing keyboards for female artist Amy Grant.

Though this year’s concert featured the well-known band Jars of Clay, Holbrook has a commitment from another popular band, Mercy Me, for next year. Other well-known performers included last summer were Point of Grace and Norma Jean.

Holbrook’s wife, Davina, assistant festival director, has been negotiating with the Trumbull County Fair Board to use the fairgrounds again next year, but first a financial disagreement has to be worked out. If negotiations break down, organizers will find another nearby location, she said.

One issue with the fair board is a $10,000 security deposit that organizers didn’t pay to the fair board to cover damages to the fairgrounds, Davina Holbrook said. Organizers did pay the $31,500 rental amount, she noted, and made about $5,000 in improvements to the grounds.

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