For over a decade, Rock the Lake has brought a day of fun and Christian music to Logan County and the surrounding communities. Now that the local radio station that started it all in 2015, formerly Rise FM, has merged with The River, based in Columbus, the annual event is on track to become one of the top summer music festivals in the region.
This year, the concert took place on Saturday, Aug. 2, and featured three acts—Blessing Offor, Rend Collective and headliner We the Kingdom. The day’s activities included food trucks and other vendors, a new and expanded Kids Zone provided by the Rushsylvania Church of Christ, and a prayer tent in partnership with Revive Ohio.
According to Bill Montgomery, River Radio Ministries (RRM) CEO, participating in Rock the Lake was a natural part of last year’s merger with Rise FM. Though they had done their own similar event in the Columbus area the last two years—called RiverFest—they decided to “put all our eggs into this basket.
“This is our team coming with their team, following their lead and trying to build on their success.” He added, “The venue—outside, on the lake—just lends itself to a great community feel.”
Heather Tipton, community relations representative, appreciated the larger staff and experience RRM provided. Their ability to work with artists and sponsors brought “a lot of energy and new ideas” to Rock the Lake.
For Mark Boyer, who first started the local Christian radio station as Shine FM in 2012, this time they saw a lot of factors come together to create growth and make the festival better than ever.
“We expect it to continue,” he said, admitting the executive team will probably choose next year’s headliner this week.
Thanks to ideal weather and strong promotional assistance from The River in Columbus, Rock the Lake had its largest turnout yet, with an estimate of close to 14,000 people in attendance. Music lovers of all ages joined in to sing, worship and even participate in a conga/train line through rows of blankets and lawn chairs.
But Rock the Lake is also about ministry and, toward that end, Boyer said that part of the day was “strong as well.” They saw 17 people choose to follow Jesus Christ, 31 individuals were baptized, and “dozens and dozens” of attendees made use of the prayer tent.
Of course, something to this magnitude couldn’t come together without the over 100 volunteers who helped make it a success. Contact the station thru riverradio.com for information about how you can participate in future events.
Next up for The River, The Afters will perform in a free concert at the West Liberty Labor Day Festival on Sunday, Aug. 31.
