After a quarter-century in Wickliffe, The FEST, Northeast Ohio’s long-running Christian music and family festival, is packing up its lawn chairs and heading west. The one-day celebration will move to ForeFront Field in Avon on Saturday, August 15, 2026, ending a 25-year run in Wickliffe while keeping its familiar mix of national Christian artists, kids’ activities, an outdoor Mass and an evening fireworks finale. For 2026, admission will be $10 per person, and organizers plan to cap attendance at 10,000 to keep the vibe family-friendly. Landing inside a ballpark means permanent restrooms, built-in seating and stadium infrastructure that planners say should make the whole operation easier to manage.
Announcement and organizers’ message
Organizers rolled out the relocation plan this week, framing the move around sustainability and public-safety concerns while promising it will still feel like the FEST regulars know. They are billing it as the “same event with all the activities and areas familiar to attendees.” As reported by Cleveland.com, the change comes on the heels of the festival’s 25th year in Wickliffe, where it has…..