If you’re familiar with the annual Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival then you’re probably thinking to yourself, “This can’t be THE Wakarusa, can it?” Well the answer is yes, this is definitely THE Wakarusa and it’s definitely headed our way June 4-7.
The four-day music festival which is normally held in Lawrence, Kansas has officially parted ways with its hometown of five years and has named Northwest Arkansas as its new location of choice. Beginning this summer, Wakarusa will occupy Mulberry Mountain which is just outside of Ozark, Arkansas.
Last year’s festival, whose lineup included The Flaming Lips, Emmylou Harris, Built to Spill and over 100 other bands, drew about 10,000 people and we’d expect at least that many for 2009 considering the excitement the move to our area will most likely bring.
Details about why the festival has moved are a little cloudy. We do know that the event which normally takes place at Clinton Lake State Park was seeking a special use permit back in October to move to a ranch in Jefferson County, Kansas. Fortunately for us, that permit was unanimously rejected due to concerns over that area’s infrastructure and road use.
This year’s lineup won’t be announced until January but tickets are already on sale at wakarusa.com.
Who’s pumped?
UPDATE: Kevin at Tuned In is also on top of this story.
ahh…pure bliss! see ya’ll there
I am so excited. I hope this also brings in music at other times of the year.
Very exciting. Mulberry Moutain is built for things just like this. Good to see something fantastic headed that way.
this is more exciting than today still being a woot.off
This is wonderful news! WAKA!
This is great, especially given the bands on the bill in recent years! I’m hoping some of those bands will traverse fayetteville and add us to their tour route in the future. As much as I like road trips, I’m tired of driving to Lawrence for shows.
Oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!
Very exciting!
ahh yah, music festivus.
As a University of Arkansas graduate and huge fan of my old college town Fayetteville, AR. I would just like to say thank you Kansas… thank you so much. We could not be happier to have this concert in Northwest Arkansas. and yes the site they chose is absolutely beautiful. This will be a nice compliment to the Harvest Festival we have every year at Mulberry that primarily features bluegrass bands.
I am guessing this had a lot to do with the fairly conservative politicians you have around there…we are still a touch too conservative here too although our Democrats tend to have a lot more success than up there in Wheat land. And everyone takes pride in keeping our beloved college town of Fayetteville funky, green, liberal, and open minded. I have always wanted us to move towards the Austin model and this festival is a great step so again THANK YOU SO MUCH KANSAS!!!!
In the future, Please send any and all progressive art festivals you have our way and we will promise to send you any spare NASCAR events we have to your neck of the woods…
Whoever said the crack down that happened at Wakurusa would not be tolerated if it happened at a Motor Speedway event had it exactly right. I would take a bunch of free loving hippies any day over the meth head drunk alcoholics that populate the Nascar circuit.
A little fyi on Neckcar”
“But NASCAR deaths aren’t as rare or isolated as the racing world believes. A Charlotte Observer investigation found at least 260 people across America have died in auto racing since 1990.”
Not to mention the thousands of drunk driving deaths from fans leaving NASCAR events and as we all know the widespread abuse of meth at NASCAR events.
BUT god forbid you smoke a little pot and listen to some Wilco…
Again thanks for this festival and please know you are invited to come down in the summer and check out beautiful Fayetteville and enjoy the incredibly scenic and wonderful Mulberry Mountain.
sorry that post was meant for the Lawrence Kansas journal… had both sites open at the same time.
ANyway this is awesome news for NWA, yall should go to the Lawrence newspaper online discussion and read some of the posts from the right wingers on their… some are saying good riddance,
Most are pretty sad to see it go though
Their loss is definitely our gain though
yes.
Let’s keep the ball rolling folks.
I’m thrilled! What a synchronicity for our region. I’ve driven up to Lawrence for every Wakarusa they’ve had so far (and over to Tennessee for the Bonnaroo too). Also been to all the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festivals down there.
I can say for sure, Wakarusa at Mulberry Mtn will fit right in, and it will be the best and biggest music event we have ever had in the Ozarks, to date.
Listen to my program, Honest Tunes Radio Show on KXUA Fayetteville, for artist announcements and preview songs from all the bands who will perform at Wakarusa 2009. I will be playing Wakarusa bands from now ’til June. There’s so much diversity and excellence in their artist line-ups, it will be no problem to keep the tunes cruising.
If I had to sneak a roster guess in advance, I’d say look at the consistent acts they’ve had multiple times at Wakarusas in the past. There are some loyal regulars among the line-ups, and I anticipate many of them will make it back next year in the new location. There will be some surprises too. Suffice to say it will be not only some of the highest quality up-and-coming bands, but also a number of big name acts that we’d be lucky to ever land in Fayetteville on their own, much less with an eclectic cast of acts spread over several days of nonstop live music.
Awesome.
Thank you Wakarusa, and the people of Mulberry Mountain, Arkansas.
DGold
stoked!!
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