Yonder Mountain String Band Announces 6th Annual Harvest Music Festival

Colorado's acclaimed neo bluegrass quartet, Yonder Mountain String Band, will host the 6th Annual Harvest Music Festival at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas from October 13 - 16, 2011. Home to two nationally celebrated festivals - Wakarusa and Harvest Music Festival - Mulberry Mountain stands as one of the country's most remote and scenic live music venues. A family friendly and community focused musical extravaganza, Harvest Music Festival brings fans and their favorite bands together for an intimate 4-day affair amid the beautiful autumn foliage in a premier destination. Festival attendees rave about Mulberry Mountain as being a standout setting for live music as well as an exceptional place for hiking, biking, fishing, river-rafting and disc golf. For detailed information, please visit www.yonderharvestfestival.com.

Presenting the festival for the second year in a row, YMSB pulls out all the stops and rounds up today's biggest names in bluegrass, folk and Americana, and an array of lauded singer-songwriters including Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Railroad Earth, 7 Walkers featuring Papa Mali & Bill Kreuztmann, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Corey Smith, Cornmeal, Split Lip Rayfield, The Travelin' McCoury's, Peter Rowan, Trampled By Turtles, Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Sara Watkins, Great American Taxi, Steep Canyon Rangers, Matthew and the Atlas, That 1 Guy, David Lindley, Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, and many other distinguished artists. The official confirmed line-up is listed below. 

YMSB is certainly an anomaly, its not often a genre-busting bluegrass band breaks into the national spotlight with a performance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, tour dates with top artists such as Dave Matthews, and sold-out shows at 9,000 seat venues (i.e. Red Rocks Amphitheater). Yonder Mountain String Band is clearly the exception to the rule having performed in front of more than 250,000 fans over just the past year. YMSB is nationally recognized as one of the strongest touring bands in the industry, with fans and critics alike drawn to both their live shows and singular studio albums.

Yonder Mountain String Band is comprised of Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Jeff Austin (mandolin, vocals), Dave Johnston (banjo, vocals) and Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals). Yonder has always played music by its own design. Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences, they've come to pioneer a sound that they alone could only champion. With a traditional lineup of instruments, they may appear to be a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they've taken the customary old-timey instrumentation (sans the fiddle) to new heights, transcending any single genre. Yonder has become a regular performer at major music festivals like the iconic Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Northwest String Summit and DelFest as well as massive multi-stage events like Austin City Limits Festival, Bonnaroo and Rothbury. YSMB is thrilled to host Harvest Music Festival for the second year in a row.

Nestled in the pristine Ozark Mountains, Harvest Music Festival intentionally limits its capacity to 7,500 attendees in order to remain stewards of the land and provide an intimate festival experience. Joining the festival this year is Conscious Alliance, a Boulder, CO-based national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to the distribution of much-needed food to impoverished communities across the United States. Conscious Alliance will conduct the "Art That Feeds" Food Drive at the festival to benefit the River Valley Regional Food Bank (Fort Smith, AR), which distributes food to nearby residents who have recently been displaced due to the devastating tornadoes this summer. All patrons that donate 10 non-perishable food items will receive a free Harvest Music Festival poster created by Amber Patten. Food donations will be collected at the Conscious Alliance "Art That Feeds" onsite gallery.

Rock The Earth also joins Harvest Music Festival along with river-rafting experts Turner Bend and the Shimon Presents Work Exchange Team to lead a "River & Road Cleanup" on Wednesday, Oct. 12 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) in the vicinity of Mulberry Mountain. The Mulberry River is an extremely popular destination for canoeing, kayaking and rafting, and has become a staple in the local culture of Arkansas and the country. All participants in the clean-up activities will receive free early admission to the festival, snacks & beverages, and a free event shirt. To sign up or for more information, inquiries can be sent to harvestfest@rocktheearth.org.

Harvest Music Festival is debuting the "First Annual Fiddlin' and Pickin' Contest," which will be judged by celebrity musicians (TBA)! The contest will include four instrument categories: Mandolin, Banjo, Flat Picking Guitar, and Fiddle. Contests will be held on October 13, 14, and 15, and submissions will be accepted up to 15 minutes before the competition and can be submitted via www.yonderharvestfestival.com. Please note that competitions will be held within the Harvest Festival grounds for Harvest ticket holders only.

A special children's area will be led by Quixotic Fusion School of Performing Arts (facebook.com/quixoticfusionschool), a sister company of Quixotic Fusion (quixoticfusion.com); who wowed fans at Wakarusa on their very own performance stage. Children are highly encouraged to attend Harvest Music Festival! Bring your kids along and let them explore their creative sides. Quixotic Fusion School of Performing Arts will offer lessons in painting, tumbling, dance, and will be face painting during the festival. Supplies and mats will be provided.

Out of the coop and onto The Roost! The Roost Stage is where you and your family can enjoy the splendors of the Ozarks with planned daily workshops, which will include greening initiatives, mind/body wellness, drum circles, and interactive art for kids and adults alike. The Roost Stage will showcase multiple genres of music including rock, jam, funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, and children's music. Bring your hoops, bring your drums, and bring an open mind. Daily workshops will include yoga, kids yoga, meditation, hooping daily, poi instruction, glass blowing, tie-dye creation, informative environmental responsibility workshops, and many other activities. So join us on The Roost where you will discover new activities and new friends!

Below is a list of all the confirmed artists performing at the 6th Annual Harvest Music Festival:

Yonder Mountain String Band, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Railroad Earth, 7 Walkers featuring Papa Mali & Bill Kreuztmann, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Corey Smith, Cornmeal, Split Lip Rayfield, The Travelin' McCoury's, Peter Rowan, The Wilders, Trampled By Turtles, Reckless Kelly, Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Sara Watkins, Great American Taxi, Dirtfoot, Mountain Sprout, Greensky Bluegrass, The Greencards, Steep Canyon Rangers, Matthew and the Atlas, That 1 Guy, David Lindley, Jay Nash, Adam Aijala and Larry Keel, Danny Barnes, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, Nathan Moore, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, The Trishas, The David Mayfield Parade, Elephant Revival, Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, Big Smith, Oakhurst, Deep Fried Pickle Project, Deadman Flats, Truckstop Honeymoon, PKB - Pete Kartsounes Band, The Alaska String Band, Gleny Rae Virus & Her Tamworth Playboys, Whistle Pigs, Dead Winter Carpenters, Mountain of Venus, Charliehorse, Dumptruck Butterlips, The Blackberry Bushes String Band, and Honeyshine

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