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Dates have been announced for the much anticipated, second annual Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival, a community celebration of the visual and performing arts that brings together musicians, distillers and crafters in North Central Arkansas.
The two-day event will be Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, with ticket sales beginning July 1. “This is a highly awaited event that is expected to bring at least 6,000 attendees from across the region,” said Donald Farrar III, the event coordinator. “The event is considered a rite of fall and a signature event for this part of the state.”
Held in the Entertainment District of Fairfield Bay, about 80 miles north of Little Rock, the state’s capitol, this year’s music lineup includes country and bluegrass legend Marty Stuart, a five-time Grammy award winner, who will perform Saturday night. Stuart began his career in the late 60s touring with Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash before beginning a solo career in the early 1980s.
Friday night’s headliner is bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent, a vocalist and gifted multi-instrumentalist, best known for her work on the mandolin, fiddle, guitar and banjo. A fifth-generation musician who is a Grammy winner and member of the Grand Ole Opry, Vincent’s music honors the traditions of classic bluegrass while also finding room for the more contemporary melodic and lyrical outlook of country.
Farrar said proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Children’s Advocacy Alliance of central Arkansas, which brings together specially trained teams who evaluate and investigate cases of child abuse and neglect. Their outreach includes a Child Advocacy Center (CAC), a safe place for abused or neglected children to tell their story; and the Court Appointed Special Advocates program (CASA), highly trained volunteers appointed by a judge who stand up for the child in court.
Event planners are proud that Fairfield Bay can come together to plan an event enjoyed by so many and honors the area’s bluegrass roots while also benefitting a local agency that provides help to children.
Farrar said the weekend will include spirit distillers brought together by the Arkansas Distillers Guild. “Last year at the event, the mayor shared a proclamation announcing the formation of the guild. This year the group is bringing even more distillers together for attendees to sample their selections and signature specialty drinks,” he said.
“Again this year, roving musicians will engage crowds with a variety of music, food vendors will serve everything from coffee to barbecue, and crafters will sell local wares, with the same spirit and energy enjoyed by so many last year,” he said. This year’s festival has also launched a special “Golden Ticket” lottery allowing sponsors a chance at a media package to promote their business on stage before the live audience. Tickets will be available online July 1, 2023. Interested vendors, sponsors, and volunteers can find full details at https://ozarkmoonshinefest.org/. For other inquiries, please contact [email protected]
