On Saturday, September 27, youth from Johnston and surrounding counties are invited to attend the annual “Faith Festival” at the Neuse River Amphitheater in Downtown Smithfield. The free concert will be held from 5 till 10 p.m. with DOVE, Juno, and the Covenant Award winning Christian rock band Downhere (pictured below), will be performing material from their new CD “Ending is Beginning” as well as their hits from their three previous CDs. Also performing will be the Michael Gungor Band, Flowers for Faye, Embracing Goodbye, and PB&J. Downhere's performance will start at 8:30pm. “We have always felt fortunate to have an outdoor venue located on the banks of the Neuse River here in Downtown Smithfield,” states Chris Johnson, executive director of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation and concert organizer. “It is a perfect location for a concert of this type, and judging from the number of calls my office has already received about having Downhere perform, the banks will be packed.” The festival is organized by the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation and supported financially by various churches across Johnston County and local businesses. “We wanted to reach out to the youth by offering them a very high energy type of entertainment but with a Christian message,” expressed Tommy Cooke, youth director of Smithfield's First Baptist Church and one of the many concert sponsors. “We wanted to make sure that the music was something that would be appealing to the youth and that they would enjoy.” Organizers are hoping that area church youth leaders will encourage their groups to attend the festival since there is no cost to attend the concert. “With the quality entertainment lined up, we expecting big things,” continues Johnson. “We are taking the approach that if we can change the life of just one young person, then it will all be worth it.”
