Gospel music to be featured at the fair

Submitted information

The 169th Van Wert County Fair is just around the corner and once again there is a great line up of free entertainment. Check out the schedule for the Midway Entertainment Tent, Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor Stage, the South Entertainment/Beer Tent, The Landing at Gate 2 , strolling throughout the fairgrounds and at the Gospel Tent.

This year the Gospel Tent and the Advanced Insurance Outdoor Stage are working together to provide some great Christian entertainment. The fair will kick things off on Tuesday, August 27 at the outdoor stage with a community praise and worship at 6 p.m. The concert is a combination of praise bands from Living Truth Ministries, Calvary and Trinity Friends Churches.

On Thursday evening, an unforgettable evening with national recording artists RENEE at 6:30 p.m. on the Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor stage. This contemporary Christian sister duo made up of Riley Renee and Rachel Renee is fresh off a 40-city winter Jam tour and newly signed with TobyMac’s Gotee Records. These sisters are on fire, bringing a mix of high-energy performances, heartfelt acoustic moments, and a message that lifts the name of Jesus.

The award winning Southern Gospel duo Jim and Melissa Brady, along with Trinity, will take the Advanced Insurance Group Outdoor stage at 7 p.m. on Friday. Jim is no stranger to southern gospel fans as he has won numerous awards as part of The Booth Brothers. Both he and Melissa have penned many chart topping songs over the years and have now joined their talents on stage.

On Saturday, the Gospel Tent will host St Mary’s Catholic Church for mass at 6 p.m.. At 7 p.m., three regional Southern Gospel/Country Gospel artists-Mark and Cindy Maynard of Powell, Randy Long of Fort Wayne, and Paul James Sound of Columbus, will bring a mix of traditional southern gospel, along with some country and original tunes.

Zion Christian Union Church and Living Truth Ministries will be joining together for a Sunday worship service in the Gospel Tent at 10 a.m. in the Gospel Tent. Then things will get moved to outside stage for the Sunday evening concert with Cochren & Co. at 6 p.m. Michael Cochren is an award winning singer/songwriter and worship leader born and raised in a small Indiana town. After graduating from school, Cochren began playing music across the country with a band of friends, later including his wife Leah, under the name Cochren & Co. With hope-filled lyrics and timeless melodies, Cochren & Co. blurs the line between American pop/rock and soul/blues to create a classic sound all their own. Cochren & Co. have toured coast to coast amassing a loyal following of new listeners wherever they go.

On Monday (Labor Day),  Children Choosing Christ will be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by Trinity & Friends at 3 p.m. in the Gospel Tent. Trinity & Friends is sponsored by Rod & Kelly of Cooper Grain Farms. Trinity has been traveling, recording and spreading God’s word for over 30 years and on their 2025 Gospel Cruise “Jubilee in the Sun” they were honored to share the stage with Phillips & Banks and thought they would be a great fit for the Van Wert County Fair. Phillips & Banks is a southern gospel mixed quartet from the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. Married couples, Jacob and Carmen Phillips and Caleb and Autumn Banks bring a collectively distinctive and smooth sound to their music.

Along with Christian music sponsors, other sponsors include Advanced Insurance Group for the Outdoor Entertainment Stage and Lee Kinstles Chevrolet GMC, Greve’s Chrysler Jeep and Statewide Ford, Gospel Tent sponsors.