View source for Cornerstone Festival

{{Short description|American Christian music festival}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{infobox music festival
| music_festival_name = Cornerstone Festival
| image               = [[Image:Cornerstone Festival.jpg|250px]]
| caption             = The Main Stage of Cornerstone.
| location            = [[Grayslake, Illinois]] (1984–1990)<br>[[Bushnell, Illinois]] (1990–2012)
| years_active        = 1984–2012
| founders            = [[Jesus People USA]]
| dates               = 
| genre               = [[Contemporary Christian music|CCM]], [[rock music|rock]], [[heavy metal music|metal]], [[punk music|punk]], [[pop music|pop]], [[rap music|rap]], [[folk music|folk]], [[electronic music|electronic]], [[Celtic music|Celtic]], [[country music|country]], [[hardcore punk|hardcore]]
| website             = {{URL|http://www.CornerstoneFestival.com}}
}}

'''Cornerstone Festival''' was a [[Christian music festival]] put on by [[Jesus People USA]] and held annually around July 4 near [[Bushnell, Illinois]], drawing some 20,000 attendees each year.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mark Moring |url=http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/05/jesus-rally-planned-for-corner-1.html |title=Christianity Today Entertainment Blog: Jesus Rally Planned for Cornerstone |publisher=Blog.christianitytoday.com |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=September 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806055910/http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/05/jesus-rally-planned-for-corner-1.html |archive-date=August 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also played at other events such as [[Creation Festival]] and mainstream festivals and tours such as the [[Warped Tour]]. The final festival was held in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/information/specialAnnouncement.php |title=Cornerstone Festival 2012 :: Special Announcement |publisher=Cornerstonefestival.com |date=June 30, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>

Cornerstone Festival was a member of the [[Christian Festival Association]].

==History==
From 1984 to 1990, Cornerstone was held at the Lake County Fairgrounds near [[Grayslake, Illinois]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cornerstone Festival - POI|url=https://www.routeyou.com/en-us/location/view/51516979/cornerstone-festival|access-date=2022-02-18|website=RouteYou|language=en}}</ref> In 1991, Cornerstone moved near the town of Bushnell (outside [[Macomb, Illinois|Macomb]]) where the organizers of the festival purchased a large piece of land, which is now called "Cornerstone Farm".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cornerstone Festival - POI|url=https://www.routeyou.com/en-us/location/view/51516979/cornerstone-festival|access-date=2022-02-18|website=RouteYou|language=en}}</ref>

Tens of thousands of people attended Cornerstone Farm each year and saw over 300 bands play many styles of music, including [[rock and roll|rock]], [[heavy metal music|metal]], [[punk music|punk]], [[hardcore punk|hardcore]] and [[pop music]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bushnell|first=Il|title=CORNERSTONE 2011: Sharing the Fullness of Christ at Cornerstone Music Festival|url=https://www.oca.org/news/oca-news/cornerstone-2011-sharing-the-fullness-of-christ-at-cornerstone-music-festiv|access-date=2022-02-18|website=www.oca.org|date=July 20, 2011 }}</ref> In addition to the many musicians, Cornerstone Festival also presented guest speakers, and featured independent/foreign film screenings, writers' seminars, and art workshops.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bushnell, Il [Yya] |url=http://oca.org/news/oca-news/cornerstone-2011-sharing-the-fullness-of-christ-at-cornerstone-music-festiv |title=News - CORNERSTONE 2011: Sharing the Fullness of Christ at Cornerstone Music Festival |publisher=OCA |date=July 20, 2011 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3jqjSKHKcwC&pg=PA176 |title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship: Pop ... - Google Books |isbn=9780313344268 |via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=May 16, 2014|last1=Cusic |first1=Don |date=November 12, 2009 |publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref>
 
In 2010 the festival's main stage moved to the "Midway", which is about 0.7 miles northeast of its previous location in the "bowl".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/content.php?p=144#moving | title = Cornerstone Festival 2010 :: 10 Things You Need To Know About Cornerstone | access-date = July 10, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100715231743/http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/content.php?p=144#moving | archive-date = July 15, 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

The 2011 festival featured a Jesus Rally showcasing many of the groundbreaking [[Jesus music]] artists including; [[Servant (band)|Servant]], [[Daniel Amos]], [[Randy Stonehill]], [[Barry McGuire]], [[Resurrection Band]], [[Phil Keaggy]], and [[Petra (band)|Classic Petra]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Trott |first=Jon |url=http://www.wilsonstation.com/cornerstone-festival-jesus-rally-celebrates-40-years-of-the-jesus-movement/ |title=Cornerstone Festival "Jesus Rally" Celebrates 40 Years of the Jesus Movement |publisher=Wilsonstation.com |date=May 26, 2012 |access-date=May 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517151836/http://www.wilsonstation.com/cornerstone-festival-jesus-rally-celebrates-40-years-of-the-jesus-movement/ |archive-date=May 17, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Mark Moring |url=http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/05/jesus-rally-planned-for-corner-1.html |title=Christianity Today Entertainment Blog: Jesus Rally Planned for Cornerstone |publisher=Blog.christianitytoday.com |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=May 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806055910/http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2011/05/jesus-rally-planned-for-corner-1.html |archive-date=August 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On May 15, 2012 it was announced that the 2012 Festival would be the last.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/notes/cornerstone-festival/a-special-announcement-from-cornerstone-festival/10150823717573549 |title=A Special Announcement From Cornerstone Festival |publisher=Facebook |access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> The final song performed at Cornerstone, on July 7, 2012, was "To Bid Farewell" performed by [[Derri Daugherty]] and [[Steve Hindalong]] of [[The Choir (alternative rock band)|The Choir]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Becky |url=http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/blog/?p=1111 |title=Saturday – quick &#124; |publisher=Cornerstonefestival.com |date=July 8, 2012 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref>

The festival ceased due to budgetary reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wasoba |first=Ryan |title=Strong Foundation: The Cornerstone Festival says goodbye, for now |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/music/strong-foundation-the-cornerstone-festival-says-goodbye-for-now-2499673 |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Books ==

* Young, Shawn David, "Hippies, Jesus Freaks, and Music" (Ann Arbor: Xanedu/Copley Original Works, 2005). {{ISBN|1-59399-201-7}}

== External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|1=http://www.CornerstoneFestival.com}}
* {{cite thesis|url=http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4367&context=etd |title=Constructing Alternative Christian Identities: An Ethnography of Jesus People USA's Cornerstone Festival |author=Brian Edward Johnston |access-date=May 16, 2014| date=March 29, 2011}}

{{Coord|40|31|53.00|N|90|26|12.00|W|display=title}}

[[Category:Grayslake, Illinois]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in McDonough County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Music festivals in Illinois]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:2012 disestablishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Christian music festivals]]
[[Category:Defunct music festivals]]
[[Category:Music festivals established in 1984]]
[[Category:Recurring events disestablished in 2012]]