Christian bands rock Central Park

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

More than 1,500 people filled Central Park in Charles City Saturday night to see a high-energy rock ‘n’ roll show with a positive message.

The Christian rock bands Unspoken, Bread of Stone and Wonderstate performed sets at the 13th annual concert in Charles City, put on by Encouragement Corp., a non-profit organization formed by Dave Holschlag and Gary Quint.

The concert is traditionally put on once a year, the weekend before Labor Day Weekend, and brings in a large crowd and a circus-like atmosphere to Central Park.

Unspoken is a band that has produced many Top 5 singles on the Billboard Christian charts, including the No. 1 single “Start a Fire.” Bread of Stone is a local favorite from Sioux City, while opening band Wonderstate hails from southern Minnesota.

The bands concentrated mainly on the music, with various amounts of testimonial between songs.

The concert was free and open to the public. Money raised from individuals and area businesses, as well as volunteers donating their time, make the concert possible. Volunteers run merchandise tables and help with the tear-down of the event. First Baptist Church and St. John Lutheran Church in Charles City served food at their stands to raise money for various projects within their congregations.