A host of events are planned at the 24.5 acre Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden, located atop the 1,930-foot hill overlooking Kerrville at Interstate 10 — and more than 3,000 visitors are expected to visit the site over the holiday weekend, organizers said.

On Saturday, April 4, there will be a free, non-denominational, citywide Resurrection Celebration from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the site. Among those slated to perform are singer-songwriters Raymone Carter, a Warner Brothers recording artist, and Lenny Holmes.

Carter honed his craft beside the legendary Shirley Caesar, an iconic Gospel artist, and Holmes’ work runs the gamut from hip-hop and jazz to pop and gospel. He’s worked with Destiny’s Child, Janet Jackson, Sean “Diddy” Combs and released a CD with Battle Music Entertainment titled “Tap Tap Salute Military,” which pays tribute to U.S. troops.

Local musical talent taking part in the weekend celebration at the garden include Zion Lutheran Praise Team, Impact Christian Fellowship Worship Team, Ryan and Nicole Huff, Louada Raschke’s A Cross Generation Band, Mount Olive Baptist Church Choir, the Villalobos Family Band and the Wild Ride Ministries Worship Team.

Food will be available through Bill’s BBQ restaurant in the outer court of the garden near Benson Drive, but people are welcome to bring their own snacks.

In between the music sets, local and nationally known evangelists, pastors and missionaries from a variety of denominations will share testimony and offer Easter-themed sermons. Speakers include:

• Jack Rothenflue, pastor and director of Commission To Every Nation

• John Hiddema, pastor, First Baptist Church

• Stockton Williams, pastor, St. Peters Episcopal Church

• Noah Diggs, pastor, Mount Olive Baptist Church

• James Wilson, pastor, Kerrville Christian Center

• Louada Raschke, evangelist and worship leader

• Mike Weaver, pastor, Wild Ride Ministries Church

• Jimmy Sportsman, pastor, Kerrville Church of Christ

• Ryan Huff, pastor

• Max Greiner Jr., co-founder and president of The Coming King Foundation, the nonprofit organization behind the Sculpture Prayer Garden

The Rev. Stockton Williams said this is the first Easter he will preach at the garden, “but I felt called to do it this year. My talk will focus on the amazement and wonder of the Easter tomb for Mary Magdalene and the others who were not at all expecting that, and what that means for each of us, both in this life and the next.”

New stone block seating is available at the site, in addition to chairs that will be placed in the Prayer Circle amphitheater. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket if they plan to spend the day at the garden.

Trinity Baptist Church will present selections of its costumed Passion play “The Victor” — a portrayal of the final days of Jesus Christ — at the event.

Trinity’s minister of worship, Larry Danks, said the Easter weekend event at the gardens is a “wonderful opportunity for community churches to join together to draw further attention to the Easter events. We are delighted to be participating.”

There also will be a 7 a.m. sunrise service on Easter Sunday, April 5. The Son Rise Sunday morning service will feature prelude music by Patsy Jordan, a message from Kerrville Mayor Jack Pratt, music by the Louada Raschke’s A Cross Generation Band and a message from Greiner. The Easter message will be delivered by the Rev. Mark Rylander of Friendship Bible Church, and the benediction and blessing will be given by the Rev. Franklin Williamson.

“My title will be ‘Raised to Victory,’ and the passage I’ll be preaching from is Isaiah 53,” Rylander said. “This scripture was written

600 years before Jesus’ birth, but is as clear as any Bible passage about the significance and power of His death on the cross and resurrection.”

Rylander said he’s spoken at the Sculpture Prayer Garden before, “and find it to be a very compelling environment to speak in. The reason God the Son came was to do that great work on the cross of taking sin’s penalty for us so that His Holy Father could freely forgive us, sinners. There is no more exciting message.”

Williams agreed.

“The Sculpture Prayer Garden has become a wonderful, inspiring place for prayer,” Williams said. “It has begun to attract people from all over, and we are expecting many on Easter weekend. Many of them will be unchurched, and this will be their main, Christian Easter celebration.”