A big event makes its return to the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on, Thursday, Feb. 7. For those who don’t know or haven’t been to one, this year’s Winter Jam is not one to miss.

According to Turning Point Newstoday, this is regarded as the top contemporary Christian tour and visits 44 cities along the way. There are a number of well-known bands on this bill. Nick Hall is the inspirational speaker for this major show.

According to Marshall Perry, director of marketing and sales at the Crown, even though the show begins at 7 p.m., the pre-Jam party begins at 6 p.m. and that is also when the doors open. Expect to see Jason Castro, OBB and Capital Kings as part of the preshow. Marshall recommended “… you get in line early, because there is going to be a packed house. Also, there will be music playing from the start.”

Audiences can look forward to amazing performances by Royal Tailor, Sidewalk Prophets, Newsong, Jamie Grace, Matthew West, Red and this year’s headliner Toby Mac. Mac is a Grammy winning multi-platinum recording artist who includes well-known hits as part of his set. A popular Christian music performer, Mac was part of DC Talk, which performed as a three-man group in the 1980s and 1990s. Newsong is the host & anchor band, which means they “welcome the groups,” according to Perry.

Newsong is a founding member of the Winter Jam concerts. In fact, the group premiered the first Winter Jam Tour Spectacular in 1995. Last year, the concert tour “outpaced attendance for all other tours in the first quarter, including Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, The Black Keys, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley, according to Pollstar’s 2012 Worldwide First Quarter Ticket Sales “Top 100 Tours” chart,” claims the event website.

If you want to get a sneak peak of the show, and get a taste of what the performance will be like, Perry explained that additional background information is provided on the official YouTube channel of Winter Jam. Fans can also visit JamTour.com as well, for more information about this event.

Although it costs $10 to attend, special privileges are given to people who become a member of Jam Nation. There are three different levels of Jam Nation membership: Individual Platinum, Group Premium and Group Basic. These group packages are available to groups of 10 or more people. Benefits of these VIP passes/platinum editions include early entry into the venue with an access pass and lanyard, select seating, early-bird onsite merchandise shopping, an official limited edition t-shirt from this event and an exclusive question and answer session with an artist. Jam Nation door time is 4:30 p.m.

Visit www.jamtour.com or www.atthecrown.com for more information.

Photo: Toby Mac headlines this year’s Winter Jam.