Organizers nabbed some big musical acts to headline this year's first-ever Moraine Park Summer Festival, a free three-day weekend full of family-oriented activities at Moraine State Park.

One of them was to be Steven Curtis Chapman, the contemporary Christian artist whose latest crossover hit "Cinderella" is playing widely across the radio spectrum. The Grammy-winning artist signed on months ago for the festival's opening concert tomorrow night.

But three weeks ago, tragedy struck the Chapman family. Their 5-year-old daughter, youngest of the six children, died May 21 after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of their Tennessee home.

Mr. Chapman canceled his early summer appearances, including the one at Moraine Park, said volunteer organizer John Pistorius. But through a few key friendships in Nashville's tight-knit country and gospel communities, a replacement act was quickly found: The Oak Ridge Boys.

Steve Wingfield, the Christian evangelist who will give a nightly post-concert message of hope, "went to them on his knees, I think," said Mr. Pistorius. Within two days, The Oak Ridge Boys had signed on.

Tomorrow at 7 p.m., the legendary country gospel group will headline the brand-new festival, and country/bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs will headline the closing concert at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Two Christian rock bands, Manic Drive and Pillar, will take the main stage Saturday night.

The festival, a family-oriented event packed with concerts, exhibitions, games and sports events, is the result of "20 churches in Butler getting together to talk about opportunities for outreach," said the festival's executive administrator Adele Duffy.

"That group approached the evangelist Steve Wingfield ... [who is] kind of a mini-Billy Graham," and his organization, which has put on similar festivals all over North America, spearheaded the planning.

The original local group has grown to nearly 1,000 volunteers from 80 churches, whose work and fund-raising efforts help provide the free entertainment.

Festival Stage events and the Marketplace of crafts and food vendors begin at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 10 a.m. Saturday and at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Saturday's all-day schedule includes a rock-climbing wall, children's games and crafts, an inflatable "bounce house," a ventriloquist/puppet show at 10 a.m. and a soccer clinic at 1 p.m.

The afternoon also features sports competitions and a battle of the bands on the Youth Stage.

For a more detailed schedule of activities, go to www.stevewingfield.org and click on "Festival Week Schedule" under the Moraine Park Summer Festival banner.