A new model for music festivals will launch with the bluegrass-centered Homegrown Music Festival this month, a 'homegrown' effort from festival organizers Jessica Sumner and Hannah Withers.
"We really started moving towards the sustainability part of this festival when we started talking about why we don't go to music festivals anymore," Withers explains and elaborates on a conversation she had with her husband Ben Gitchel, both now in their 40s and raising a teenager. "It's really hard to go out into the woods and look at all the trash and have no recycling in place for them and we just think a different way than when we were in our 20s."
Through partnerships with many organizations no single use plastics will be used, along with a lot of solar energy and recycling in place, and artists are creating lighting using all recycled materials. There's even a family camping area with quiet hours after 11 and anOzark Natural Foods organized Farmer's Market and much more all centered around live bluegrass music along the Mulberry River.
Homegrown Music Festival takes place July 21-23 at Byrd's Adventure Center in Ozark. For tickets, festival line-up and more visit their website. You can also enter to win tickets from KUAF by registering here!
