As it has every year since 1990, 94.9 KLTY FM’s Celebrate Freedom® rolled out a family-friendly package of music, sports, and family entertainment this past weekend. With a new venue – the world-class Pizza Hut Park – and Luis and Andrew Palau sharing the Good News, the pieces were in place for an historic celebration. Regretfully, Dallas’ legendary and unpredictable summer weather had other plans.
The first day, Friday, June 27, brought thousands out to hear bands like Sanctus Real and the David Crowder Band. There was dancing, skateboarding, BMX stunts and more on the Livin It® stage, but by mid-afternoon the wind and heat had picked up enough to make the freestyle motocross performance unmanageable. Both Luis and Andrew Palau were able to share the Good News despite searing temperatures. The Gospel was heard multiple times in the Family Fun Zone and on the Livin It® stage, with dozens upon dozens making decisions to follow Christ.
Day Two, Saturday, started heating up early with a family focus as Dallas’ famed KidStand children’s ministry presented everything from jump roping to cheerleading and dancing. Riders for Christ, the freestyle motocross team, got in some demos as the crowd got to see the legendary X-Games winner Greg Hartman soar several stories into the air. At 10:00 a.m. more than 100 Harley Davidsons – including many classic and collectible – were driven into the Livin It® area where they remained throughout the day.
Until the storm came.
Ominous clouds, thunder, hail and lightning were headed straight for the festival. Park officials, police and fire, and the production teams from KLTY and the Palau Association huddled to weigh the risks, and at 5:00 p.m. the call was made: for the first time in the history of the event, the remainder of the program – including presentations by Luis and Andrew Palau, Kirk Franklin, Skillet, and and Hawk Nelson – was cancelled.
While the presenters, sponsors, and supporters of this year’s Celebrate Freedom® were disappointed, they rejoiced that the event was professionally produced and that visitors in large number heard the claims of Christ. For those who are now walking with the Lord or who retuned to their faith, the cause for celebration was immense.
Read live reports from the event at Andrew Palau’s website.
The Fourth of July is just around the corner and Dallas is ready to celebrate freedom!
An historic collaboration that began in 2007 continues in Texas this year among churches, the city government, and civic and business entities to bring “90 Days of Blessing” and a world-class music festival to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 94.9 KLTY/Interstate Batteries CELEBRATE FREEDOM® Featuring Luis Palau on June 27-28 will feature both Luis and Andrew Palau bringing the Good News.
More than 200 Dallas-based clergy have been mobilized for this three-fold movement involving the Global Day of Prayer, 90 Days of Blessing, and Celebrate Freedom®. The movement is summarized best by its tagline: Pray, Proclaim, Pursue!
“Pray” called for participants in the Global Day of Prayer on May 10, 2008. The Global Day of Prayer is a world-wide celebration centered around Pentecost Sunday. In Dallas, this celebration served to unite the global body of Christ as believers sought God for revival, interceded on behalf of the world, and collaborated for the blessing and transformation of cultures. It was preceded by ten days of prayer, celebrated in public venues, and followed by “90 Days of Blessing” in communities throughout the region.
“Proclaim” reveals the evangelistic nature of 94.9 KLTY/Interstate Batteries CELEBRATE FREEDOM® Featuring Luis Palau where the Good News of Jesus Christ will be clearly proclaimed by Luis and Andrew Palau. The event will celebrate the community impact of “90 Days of Blessing” (detailed below) at Pizza Hut Park on June 27-28.
The free, family-friendly event includes more than forty top musical artists, a family fun zone, the Livin It® action sports tour, and a powerful message of hope and Good News. The same Celebrate Freedom® event last year had more than 140,000 attendees over two days, despite torrential downpours and volumes of mud.
The third key element of the outreach, “pursue,” is marked by service projects led by the 90 Days of Blessing ministry taking place between May 11 and August 8. This effort is mobilizing thousands of volunteers from the area’s diverse faith community and beyond. Volunteers are working on varied service projects addressing critical needs of the homeless, hungry, impoverished, the environment, and public schools.
For more information, to pre-register, and/or to sign up to volunteer at the festival, please click here.
See you at Celebrate Freedom® featuring Luis Palau at Pizza Hut Park on June 27-28!
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