Sonshine Festival is a Christian music festival

Christian music festival

A Christian music festival is a music festival held by the Christian community, in support of performers of Christian music...

 held annually in Willmar, Minnesota

Willmar, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile...

, usually the second weekend in July. It features Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 musical artists from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and around the world. The festival is a member of the Christian Festival Association

Christian Festival Association

The Christian Festival Association was formed in September 2006. The group consists of members representing major Christian music festivals held in the United States. Collectively, this group represents over 1.5 million attendees, and are held between April and December, with most held during the...

.

A secondary function of the festival is to promote chartiable events through Compassion International

Compassion International

Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...

. Each year people sign up to provide food, clothing, and education to children in poor countries.

The festival hosts a wide variety of bands and has hosted regional concerts, such as one which centered on bands from Australia including: Paul Colman Trio

Paul Colman Trio

Paul Colman Trio is an Australian Contemporary Christian music group composed of Paul Colman, Phil Gaudion, and Grant Norsworthy. The band released four studio albums, two live albums, and several Christian radio hit singles such as Turn, The Selfish Song, and Fill My Cup...

, Rebecca St. James

Rebecca St. James

Rebecca St. James , is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actor. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993 she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a...

, and The Newsboys. There are six stages and on-site concessions offering food.