Hills Alive Festival

---

Hills Alive Festival
Genre	Christian Music
Location(s)	Hart Ranch (1985–1988) Spearfish City Park (1988–1998) Memorial Park (1998-Present)
Years active	1985–2001, 2003–Present
Attendance	20,000 (2024)
Website	Hills Alive's Official website

Search Hills Alive Festival on Amazon.

Hills Alive is an annual Christian music festival held in Rapid City, South Dakota, that has taken place since 1985. Initially a paid event, it transitioned to a free-admission format in 2004, a practice that continues today. The festival has become a regular part of the Black Hills region’s event calendar.

History

Hills Alive started in 1985.  It has a heritage of being an affordable, family-oriented festival, offering a wide variety of Christian music.  It was held for three years at Hart Ranch, just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.  It started as a one day event, but expanded to two days in its second year with local talent and a barbecue.

In 1988 Hills Alive moved to Spearfish City Park in Spearfish, SD, and was highlighted by the Torch Run.  Runners carried "The Light" from 200 miles from the north, south, east and west.  Runners began in Alliance, NE; Dickinson, ND; Sheridan, WY and Pierre, SD - signifying the claiming of the land for Christ. Hills Alive called Spearfish City Park home for 10 years.

In 1998, Hills Alive moved to Memorial Park in Rapid City. However, by 2001, it was the final year of Hills Alive as a ticketed event. Due to difficulties in obtaining necessary permits and navigating floodway regulations from the city, the festival was canceled in 2002.

Kathy Cook, the Hills Alive coordinator at the time, explained, "We decided we were going to cancel, period. It was just that we couldn't make it work."

The event found new life in 2003, thanks to a partnership with LifeLight, an organization from the eastern part of South Dakota. That year, the festival returned as the LifeLight festival, and for the first time, it became a free event. According to Cook, LifeLight provided guidance to the local organizers on how to run the festival without charging for admission. Funding for the festival came from local churches, corporate sponsors, and individual donors.

"This year, we've gone back to Hills Alive, but we are using basically the same pattern," said Schoenstedt, a festival organizer.

Hills Alive 2022 Lineup on the back of a Coke truck

In 2003, an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 people attended the free festival, and expectations were even higher for future events. Schoenstedt believed the event had greater potential as a free festival, allowing it to reach people who might not be willing to pay for admission.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hills Alive was postponed in 2020. However, as part of a broader initiative called Hope Lives, 28 Christian music festivals joined forces to create 1 UNITED VIRTUAL EVENT, a nationwide virtual livestream festival. This allowed the festival's community to continue connecting during the pandemic despite the in-person cancellation.

Hills Alive 2024 Stage

In late 2023, KSLT announced that they would not host the festival for 2024 due to financial strains. Carl Bliss, the Marketing Director for Northwestern Media (which purchased KSLT in 2021), stated that the resources needed to safely run the festival were detracting from the station’s ability to serve its audience through radio.

In response to KSLT's announcement, LifeLight, a non-profit organization, expressed interest in continuing the festival. They confirmed their intention to take over its organization and brought the event back in 2024. The festival was held on July 20-21, 2024, at Memorial Park, with attendance reported at over 20,000. However, the 2024 CrowdStrike-related IT outages, which impacted airports nationwide, resulted in travel disruptions for some artists. Despite these challenges, the festival proceeded, although several performances were canceled.

Artists

2024 - Start of LifeLight Hills Alive

• Danny Gokey
• Renee
• Social Club Misfits
• Stephen Stanley - Cancelled
• The Afters
• Unspoken - Cancelled
• Jon Setzer - LifeLight Speaker
• We the Kingdom
• Caleb & John
• Bryan Olesen & Vota
• Peter Furler & Phil Joel
• Terrian
• Jordan St. Cyr
• Jon Reddick
• Josh Brewer - LifeLight CEO and Speaker

2023

• Pulse Worship Collective
• Cade Thompson
• Leanna Crawford
• Patrick Mayberry
• Andrew Ripp
• Sanctus Real
• Zach Williams

• Natalie Layne
• Rhett Walker
• Blessing Offor
• Colton Dixon
• For King + Country

2022

• Peabod
• Blanca
• Jordan St Cyr
• Jeremy Camp
• Johnny Diaz
• Jason Gray
• Vota
• Peter Furler
• We Are Messangers
• Skillet

2021

• Crowder
• Steven Curtis Chapman
• Building 429
• Mandisa
• The Afters
• Sidewalk Prophets
• Apollo LTD
• Sarah Reeves
• Leanna Crawford
• Ryan Stevenson
• Jamie Kimmett
• Nichole Nordeman
• Tasha Layton

2019

• for KING & COUNTRY
• Big Daddy Weave
• Matt Maher
• Unspoken
• I AM THEY
• Tim Timmons

2018

• Stars Go Dim
• Alive City
• Iron Bell Music
• Citizen Way
• Jaci Velasquez
• Phil Wickham
• Bethel Music
• Big Daddy Weave
• Matt Maher
• Jordan Feliz
• Hollyn
• Ayiesha Woods
• KJ-52
• Stars Go Dim

2017

• Mac Powell
• Meredith Andrews
• Broken Walls
• JJ Weeks
• Aaron Shust
• Point of Grace
• Matthew West
• Sound of Eternity
• Alive City
• Northeart
• Living Scars
• Set for the Fall
• Disciple

2016

• Casting Crowns
• Building 429
• RED
• Peter Furler
• Sidewalk Prophets
• Unspoken
• Gungor
• Capital Kings
• Seventh Day Slumber
• Finding Favour
• Citizen Way
• Derek Minor
• Carrollton
• Jordan Feliz
• David Dunn
• Brightwork
• Children 18:3
• As We Are

2015

• for KING & COUNTRY
• Shane & Shane
• Ashes Remain
• Burlap to Cashmere
• David Dunn
• Desole
• Everfound
• Hawk Nelson
• Shonlock
• Tenth Avenue North
• The Lasting Hope
• Thousand Foot Krutch
• VERIDIA
• Brandon Heath
• Broken Walls
• Danny Gokey
• Ginny Owens
• Good Little Giants
• Manic Drive
• MercyMe
• Rend Collective
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• Tru Serva

2014

• Unspoken
• Lybecker
• Leeland
• 7EVENTH TIME DOWN
• Rhett Walker
• The Afters
• Steven Curtis Chapman
• Bob Lenz - Speaker
• Chasynn Canaan
• Unscene Patrol
• Kindred
• Lybecker
• Satellites & Sirens
• We As Human
• The Neverclaim
• Climbing Blind
• Tim Timmons
• Love & The Outcome
• Kerrie Roberts
• For King & Country
• Newsboys

2013

• Abandon
• Alan Greene - LifeLight Founder and Speaker
• AngeLight
• At The Wayside
• Audio Adrenaline
• Bebo Norman
• Bec
• Big Daddy Weave
• Brian "Head" Welch
• Building 429
• Children 18:3
• Cities Under Fire
• Climbing Blind
• David Dunn
• For King and Country
• Hyland
• Jason Gray
• Jenny Simmons
• Jeremy Camp
• Jeremy Vanderloop
• Lightfall Worship
• Love and Death
• Manic Drive
• Plumb
• Sean Dunn
• Selah
• Silverline
• The Letter Black
• We Are Leo

2012

• Tobymac
• Mercy Me
• Big Daddy Weave
• Shane and Shane
• Todd Agnew
• Seventh Day Slumber
• Sidewalk Prophets
• The City Harmonic
• Jamie Grace
• Mikeschair
• Dara Maclean
• Anthem Lights
• Hyland
• Icon for Hire
• Lybecker
• Random Hero
• LightSwitch
• Dakota Green
• We Are Leo
• S.O.C.O.M.
• Craig Smith
• Rachelle Hope
• Chasynn Canaan
• Rachel & Rebekah
• A Life Set Apart
• Love Out Loud
• Point5

2011

• Reilly
• 33 Miles
• Chris August
• Stellar Kart
• The Afters
• Hawk Nelson
• Mitch Hildebrant - Speaker
• Kutless

• School of Worship
• Abandon
• Matt Maher
• NEWWORLDSON
• Matthew West
• Third Day

2010

• Jar of Clay
• Newsboys
• NeedToBreathe
• BarlowGirl
• Addison Road
• Sanctus Real
• Tenth Avenue North

2009

• Casting Crowns
• Skillet
• Kutless
• Big Daddy Weave
• Avalon
• Downhere
• The Afters
• Krystal Meyers
• NewWorldSon
• Remedy Drive
• Angel Den

2008

• Switchfoot
• SuperChic[k]
• Mandisa
• Matthew West
• Tobymac
• Tree 63
• Group 1 Crew
• Brandon Heath
• Fireflight
• Building 429

2007

• Aaron Shust  
• Bebo Norman
• Disciple
• Eleventyseven
• Falling Up
• Hawk Nelson
• Jeremy Camp
• MercyMe
• Rebecca St. James
• Salvador
• Sarah Kelly

2006

• StorySide:B
• Bethany Dillon
• Jeff Deyo
• Kutless
• Third Day
• Community Worship with Jeff Deyo
• Crystal River
• Jimmie Bratcher
• Natalie Grant
• Mark Schultz
• Newsboys
• Slingshot57
• Monday Morning
• Red Cloud
• Seventh Day Slumber

2005

• Mercy Me
• Jeremy Camp
• Big Daddy Weave
• Jars of Clay
• Sarah Kelly
• Darrell Evans
• BarlowGirl
• Mute Math
• Building 429
• Jill Philps

2004 - Hills Alive

• Big Daddy Weave
• Phil Baquie
• Everman
• Todd Agnew
• FFH
• Sara Groves
• Jaci Velasquez
• Steven Curtis Chapman

2003 - LifeLight West

• Rebecca St. James
• Sonic Flood
• The Katinas
• Go Fish
• Jeremy Camp
• Scott Krippayne
• KJ-52
• A.M. Drive
• Kara
• Danny Chambers

2001

• Third Day
• Caedmon's Call
• Jennifer Knapp
• Greg Long
• Burlap to Cashmere
• Ginny Owens
• Kendall Payne
• Ten Shekel Shirt
• El Trio de Hoy

2000

• Jaci Velasquez
• Clay Crosse
• Caedmon's Call
• Burlap to Cashmere
• The Waiting
• Nichole Nordeman
• Plus One
• Eight 28
• Polarboy
• Reckless Mercy

1999

• 4Him
• The Ragamuffin Band
• The W's
• Considering Lily
• Satellite Soul
• Jason Ingram Band
• Selena Bloom
• Moriah
• Damask Rose

1998

• Bryan Duncan
• Crystal Lewis
• Anointed
• The Kry
• Big Tent Revival
• Carolyn Arends
• Plumb
• Rhonda Gunn
• Three Crosses
• The Corbans

1997

• Point of Grace
• Greg Long
• Aaron Jeoffrey
• Ashley Cleveland
• Out of Eden
• Cindy Morgan
• Smalltown Poets
• Jeni Varnadeau
• Imagine This

1996

• Gary Chapman
• Susan Ashton
• PFR
• Margaret Becker
• Susan Ashton
• The Waiting
• Phillips, Craig & Dean
• The Waiting
• Jaci Velasquez
• Christafari

1995

• Whiteheart
• Geoff Moore & Distance
• The Kry
• Big Tent Revival
• Randy Stonehill
• Julie Miller
• Bruce Carroll
• Eric Engerbretsen

1994

• Wayne Watson
• Bryan Duncan
• Susan Ashton
• Newsong
• Two Hearts
• Bret Williams/In Reach
• Code of Ethics

1993

• 4Him
• Rich Mullins
• Imperials
• Kathy Troccoli
• Lisa Bevill
• Allies
• Billy Sprague

1992

• Newsboys
• Ray Boltz
• First Call
• Wayne Watson
• Out of The Grey
• Scott Wesley Brown
• Kenny Marks
• Al Fike

1991

• Gaither Vocal Band
• Geoff Moore & Distance
• Trace Balin
• The Archers
• Benny Hester
• Margaret Becker
• Al Menconi
• D.O.C.
• Mark Lowry

1990

• DeGarmo & Key
• Ray Boltz
• First Call
• Josh McDowell
• Larry Burkett
• Michelle Wagner
• Billy & Sarah Gaines
• Priscilla Engle
• E.T.W.
• Isaac Air Freight

1989

• Steven Curtis Chapman
• Terry Talbot
• Crystal Lewis
• John Fischer
• Lamb
• Bruce Carroll
• Phillip Sandifer
• Hicks & Cohagen

1988

• David Meece
• Billy Sprague
• Josh McDowell
• Connie Scott
• Don Francisco
• Isaac Air Freight

1987

• Sheila Walsh
• Phil Driscoll
• Steve Camp
• David Baroni
• Stalnecker

1986

• Scott Wesley Brown
• Dan Peek
• Carla Riehl
• DMB Band

1985

• Carman
• Twila Paris
• Wayne Watson
• Michael James Murphy
• Billy Crockett
• Pam Mark Hall

References

General Coverage:

Over the years, local news outlets have covered Hills Alive extensively, especially during event weekends. Here are a few notable sources:

1. Keloland Article about Hills Alive 2024
2. Chadronradio Article about Hills Alive 2023 Canceled
3. Rapid City Journal Article about Hills Alive 2004 coming back under LifeLight
4. Rapid City Journal Article about Hills Alive 2003 Canceled
5. Rapid City Journal Article about Hills Alive 2009
6. Firing Squad Movie Promoting LifeLight Hills Alive

This article "Hills Alive Festival" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Hills Alive Festival. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---