Free Christian entertainment planned at county fair

Submitted information

The 170th Van Wert County Fair is just around the corner and once again, fair goers will have an outstanding lineup of free entertainment throughout the week.

This year, the Gospel Tent and Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage are partnering to bring an exciting lineup of Christian music and worship to the fair.

The fair gets underway Tuesday, September 1, with a community praise and worship concert at 6 p.m. The concert will feature a combination of praise bands from Living Truth Ministries, Calvary and Trinity Friends churches.

Gospel Music takes center stage on Friday

On Friday, September 2, regional gospel artists Trinity will take the outdoor stage at 6:30 p.m. Trinity has been sharing God’s Word through song for more than 40 years. The group has shared the stage with many of the finest names in gospel music and has been honored to produce several projects with Roger Talley and John Darin Rowsey.

Following Trinity at 7 p.m will be Greater Vision. Since December, 1990, Greater Vision has inspired audiences around the world with its rich vocal blend and powerful communication of the gospel message. The group has established itself among the most recognized groups in Christian music and is the most awarded trio in the history of gospel music.

Gerald Wolfe, the group’s founder, serves as pianist and emcee. Multi-award-winning songwriter Rodney Griffin sings lead, while award-winning songwriter Chris Allman sings tenor. Scott Mullins, who joined the group in June, 2025, serves as baritone.

Saturday features Cade Thompson

On Saturday, September 3, the Gospel Tent will host St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Mass at 6 p.m. then at 7 p.m., contemporary Christian artist Cade Thompson will take the Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage. After non-stop touring and accumulating 25 million streams for his sophomore album Empty Room, which features the hit singles “Good God” and “Arms of Jesus,” Thompson is entering a new chapter of music with a growing fan base. Following his 2025 releases, including “Divine Romance,” a cover of Phil Wickham’s song, and “Never Let You Go,” a tribute to his bride, Thompson enters 2026 with new music and a continued impact on Christian radio. Thompson has toured alongside artists including Chris Tomlin, TobyMac, Newsboys and Michael W. Smith. He also leads weekly worship for young adults at his local church. With 121 million lifetime streams, Thompson’s new music begins rolling out in 2026 with his Christian radio single, “That’s What The Cross Is For.”

Sunday Worship and Austin French

On Sunday morning, Zion Christian Union Church and Living Truth Ministries will join together for a worship service in the Gospel Tent at 10 a.m.

Sunday evening’s entertainment will move to the Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage, where Austin French will perform at 6 p.m. A Dove Award-nominated and Billboard-charting artist, French is known for catchy hooks and passionate, Spirit-filled lyrics. His vision is to bring hope and light to audiences through the music God has given him to share. His newest project is Wake Up Sleeper.

Gospel music closes out the fair

The 2026 Van Wert County Fair will close on Monday, September 7, Labor Day, with Children Choosing Christ in the Gospel Tent from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 2:30 pm, Trinity will return to the Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage to open for the Mark Trammell Quartet, which takes the stage at 3 p.m. For more than 50 years, Mark Trammell has been blessed to sing gospel music, something he describes as having “evolved from a dream to a life’s call, from just singing to ministry.”

Longtime followers of gospel music consider Trammell one of the great baritone singers of his generation. He has received multiple awards as a singer and producer and has been a member of four acclaimed gospel groups: The Kingsmen, The Cathedrals, Greater Vision and Gold City.

For Trammell, however, the journey is far from over. His current ministry focuses on evangelism through the seamless integration of gospel music and preaching as part of the Mark Trammell Quartet.

The Van Wert Ag Society/Fair Board extended a sincere thank-you to all the businesses and individual donors who make Christian music at the Gospel Tent and Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage possible.

Those interested in donating to this year’s lineup or becoming more involved as plans begin for the 2027 fair are encouraged to contact Kim Mason at trinitymusicministries@gmail.com.