GILFORD, New Hampshire ??” The eighth annual Soul Festival is the largest multi-day music festival of its kind in the Northeast, attracting over 15,000 attendees. The five-day music festival features world renowned Christian music of all genres on five separate stages, guest speakers and authors from around the world, and numerous activities that include extreme sports, onsite camping, swimming, mountain biking, horseback riding, chair lifts to the Mountain Top Stage, nature walks, hiking, skateboarding, and lots of great food! Situated in the beautiful White Mountain range of New Hampshire, Gunstock Mountain is an idyllic haven for guaranteed soul rejuvenation and celebration.

Nearly a decade ago, the Soul Festival was created to serve as a platform to bring people together from all walks of life for fellowship, encouragement and inspiration. SoulFest provides a necessary reprieve for celebration and reflection, and a special opportunity for faith renewal. SoulFest restores hope and reminds participants of their individual ability to make a difference in their communities by loving their neighbor and looking after widows and orphans. In the words of founder and producer Dan Russell, “We need a revolution, and not one of words, guns, rhetoric, and self serving agendas. We need a revolution of compassion in action. SoulFest will inspire you to live from the inside out, soul-connected. This revolution inspires charity to begin in the home and matures our faith into a real understanding of what it means to love one another, both locally and globally. We need a new world vision, and we need to be living this revolution, daily.”

Each year Festival planners expand and improve the programs offered. This year is no exception. SoulFest 2005 is the first year at Gunstock. With hundreds of beautiful acres in the heart of the New Hampshire Lakes region and closer proximity to the major cities, the festival is sure to grow. With the help of Bono’s One Campaign, The International Justice Mission, and World Vision, SoulFest will provide a series of workshops and discussions focusing on the AIDS pandemic and have an open conversation about how you can individually and collectively work to end extreme poverty in our lifetime. Encouraging all to become more involved, SoulFest has enlisted experienced teachers and doctors who specialize in this area to lead the discussions.

Guests of SoulFest will also enjoy performances from over 125 national and regional artists and speakers, including some of the biggest acts in Christian music. This year’s headliners include:

• Michael W. Smith
• Jars of Clay
• Third Day
• Steven Curtis Chapman
• Audio Adrenaline
• Rebecca St. James
• John Reuben
• Pillar
• Jeremy Camp

The annual double disc CD new music sampler, SoulFest 2005, Living the Revolution, showcases 40 songs by SoulFest artists. SoulFest 2005 has also expanded to offer a fifth day and night of music. At SoulFest you will have the opportunity to experience many genres of popular music at a beautiful location. To obtain a CD, preview a detailed event schedule, or to purchase multi day or single day SoulFest tickets in advance, visit www.thesoulfest.com. Discount group and family tickets are also available for purchase by calling New Sound International at (978) 346-4577. Tickets will also be available to the gate.