Winterfest is in its 31st year, beginning in the 1980s with four Church of God youth groups that decided to hold a retreat together. Since then Winterfest has grown into a nationwide phenomenon, with thousands of youth finding guidance for their spiritual journey.
This year the slate of cities hosting a Winterfest event include Indianapolis, Indiana, Arlington, Texas, Ocean City, Maryland, Branson, Missouri, and Rochester, New York. Knoxville, Tennessee hosts the largest event and is held in the Thompson-Boling Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee. Smoky Mountain Winterfest will be held later this month, March 15-17. The final weekend, Sonfest, will be held in Orlando, Florida, March 22-24.
Special guests at Smoky Mountain Winterfest include Reggie Dabbs, Leeland, Kevin Wallace, Desperation Band, Newsboys, Francis Chan, Preston Centuolo, 4Trinity, Phil Wickham, Building 429, and Seth Franco. Registration for both Smoky Mountain and Sonfest is available by visiting www.winterfest2013.com.