Pleasant Ridge presents music, arts festival in DeFuniak Springs

Ridgefest doesn’t have a genre or a denomination.

Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church’s free music and arts festival features various styles of Christian music geared toward no specific Christian denomination.

Patsy Adkinson, a member of the planning committee, said the event was never about music, art, food or her church.

“The whole thing was to spread the love of Jesus and get that out in our community,” Adkinson said. “It was not about Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. We wanted to involve all the churches we could.

“We really want this to be a community countywide event.”

The third annual Ridgefest is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 13 at the Lakeyard Amphitheatre in DeFuniak Springs. The event will offer live Christian music, carriage rides around Lake DeFuniak and food, art and craft vendors. Admission is free.

Ridgefest started as a youth event hosted at the church.

It was a free small event with funnel cakes and popcorn. Christian musician Bradley Bridges performed with a guest speaker the first year, Adkinson said.

“The older people who were volunteering loved the music and just really enjoyed it.” Adkinson said. “We thought, ‘Why are we just doing this for the youth? Why don’t we go bigger with it?’”

In the second year, the event moved to the Lakeyard in DeFuniak Springs with all ages, more musicians and craft vendors. Adkinson hopes to expand the event this year, mailing out 50-plus letters to churches in the county inviting them to participate in any capacity.

Robert Bradley, the associate pastor of worship at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, helped secure different styles of musicians. Bradley was called to the church in November, so this will mark his first Ridgefest experience.

“I’m very excited to see it,” Bridges said. “I think the variety of music, the spirit among the committee and the enthusiasm we’ve seen from our vendors, I think it forebodes for a wonderful time and a great day to uplift the name of Jesus.”

This year’s event will begin with street performers from 10 a.m. to noon. Bradley will start the concert portion at noon with a few songs for congregational worship, he said.

The first performer is Michael Beach, a Christian rapper and worship leader at New Birth Fellowship Church in DeFuniak Springs. Bradley will perform after.

“Each of us will have 30-minute slots,” Bradley said. “You go from Christian rap to Southern gospel.”

Bridges, a worship leader, will perform after Bradley, He will travel from Northwest Louisiana to return to the festival.

“He’s been here for Ridgefest every year we’ve had it,” Bradley said. “The cool thing is this year he’s bringing his band. They are contemporary Christian worship, so we will have a full band experience.”

Mahlon LeCroix, the pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, will deliver devotion before the headliner, Stephen McWhirter. The contemporary Christian musician will travel from Louisville, Kentucky, to perform.

“He’s a passionate and gifted worship leader,” Bradley said. “Part of the great thing about him coming — in addition to him being a dynamic presence — is he’s going to be able to share his testimony, which is he was saved from a life of addiction.

The Lord saved McWhirter from a life of addiction and set him on a new path, Bradley said.

“It just shows that restoration is always possible,” Bradley said. “We’re excited about seeing what God has done in him and how he can use it here in our community.”

Alicia Keeter, a planning committee member, looks forward to McWhirter’s and Bridges’ return.

“I’m really looking forward to hearing Stephen McWhirter again and Bradley Bridges,” Keeter said. “They’re just wonderful, down-to-earth guys.”

Adkinson doesn’t claim to be an expert on the problems of the world, but she thinks Ridgefest can be a small part of the solution.

“I don’t know what’s happening in our world, but we all know that a lot of it is because God has been taken out of the equation,” Adkinson said. “We’re just hoping to spread some love. It’s not a Baptist thing; it’s a Christian thing.”

Keeter hopes Ridgefest will reverse the assumption that Christians aren’t open-minded. The festival isn’t an attempt to convert everyone to Christianity, she said.

“We just want everyone to feel the love of God like we do,” Keeter said. “We want to share that with everybody, and this is the perfect stage and opportunity for that.”

WANT TO GO?

WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 13

WHERE: Lakeyard Amphitheatre in DeFuniak Springs

COST: Free admission. Food, art, crafts and carriage rides around Lake DeFuniak will be available for purchase.