The advertisement on the back of the magazine promised “daring escapes,” “incredible stunts,” amazing illusions” and a “powerful message.”
“I thought that sounded pretty cool,” said Mark Combs, a local organizer of The Freedom Experience. “Nothing like this has ever been done in Henry County, and we think it’s going to be a great event for our youth.”
The Freedom Experience, or FX, brings three nights of entertainment, excitement, music and a message to host cities. The event is geared to teens primarily, but is considered a family event (if mom and dad can handle the noise!). Youth can expect an evening of high energy from illusionist Brock Gill; stunts by Chaos on Wheels, a group of professional X-game bikers; and music from rock band Freshmen 15.
Henry County’s FX will be held Monday through Wednesday at the Henry County High School, 1120 Eminence Road, New Castle. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. each night, with the show starting at 7 p.m. Thousands of tickets have been and will continue to be handed out in Henry and surrounding counties, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Because the show is different every night, youth are encouraged to attend all three nights of The Freedom Experience. Crowd participation is expected and youth just might find themselves on stage working with Gill. Ticket prices are $30 for the three-night event, but through the contributions of churches throughout the region, admission for all three nights will be free for all who want to attend.
When Combs began to seriously consider hosting the event, he knew the biggest hurdle would be raising the necessary funds to bring the FX team to Henry County.
“When I first heard about how much it was, it was a bit of a surprise. We weren’t really prepared for how much it would cost,” Combs said. “We thought we could pull it off, and through the generosity of local churches and individual donors, we’ve reached our goal.”
Combs said that churches in Henry, Oldham, Trimble, Carroll, Shelby and Owen counties have either contributed financially, have volunteered to staff the event, or will bring their youth to the event.
“You won’t need a ticket and you won’t be asked to give any money; we just want you to come and see what it’s about. We want to get as many people there as possible,” Combs said. “This is going to be a great event, and everybody’s going to love it.”
For more information or to become involved with The Freedom Experience, call Mark Combs at Pleasureville Baptist Church at (502) 878-4755.

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