Phase Three

Music festival gets new name, new vibe

COURTESY Alexandra Valenti Philadephia jam band moe. is among the headliners for the first local edition of the Phases of the Moon Festival, scheduled to take place Oct. 16-18 at Mulberry Mountain near Ozark. The festival combines the former Harvest Festival with the Phases of the Moon Festival from Illinois.
COURTESY Alexandra Valenti Philadephia jam band moe. is among the headliners for the first local edition of the Phases of the Moon Festival, scheduled to take place Oct. 16-18 at Mulberry Mountain near Ozark. The festival combines the former Harvest Festival with the Phases of the Moon Festival from Illinois.

The music festival that debuted in 2006 on Mulberry Mountain near Ozark is entering a new phase in its history. But event director Brett Mosiman says the latest incarnation is not that much different after all.

The former Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival, also known for several years as Yonder Mountain String Band's Harvest Music Festival, returns in the fall as the Phases of the Moon Music + Art Festival. The new event combines the former Harvest Festival with the 1-year-old Phases of the Moon Festival, which originally found a home in Danville, Ill.

FAQ

Phases of the Moon

Music + Arts Festival

WHEN — Oct. 16-18

WHERE — Mulberry Mountain, about 15 miles north of Ozark on Arkansas 23

COST — $164.45 for a three-day pass; $524.95 for a VIP pass; camping or parking passes (sold separately) also required

INFO — phasesofthemoonfest…

The resulting music festival is truly a combination of both events, says Mosiman, who operates Phases and several other music festivals via his Lawrence, Kan.-based Pipeline Productions company.

"It retains a whole lot of what was good about Harvest," he says.

He hopes the combined event structure and the festival lineup, which was announced Tuesday, grows into something larger than its original parts. Harvest Festival attendance had plateaued in recent years, and while it was a fun festival, "it was not necessarily the most profitable festival," Mosiman says.

Some logistical elements and a whole lot of rain got Phases of the Moon -- started by father-and-son duo Sam and Barry Shear -- off to a slower-than-expected beginning. They turned to Mosiman for assistance, and the more he thought about the festival, the more it became clear a merger might be the best option. He could lend his experience running festivals, and the Shears could add the family friendly atmosphere they'd created and the brand recognition they'd gained.

Aside from some longtime Harvest fans hesitant to make a change, response to the festival has been positive, Mosiman says. Initial ticket sales have been strong, he adds, and that was before the announcement of the lineup. Headlining the event will be acts such as The Disco Biscuits, STS9 and moe. Those acts all fall into the jam band world, a departure from the bluegrass and stringed instrument approach of the Harvest festival. But Mosiman says the lineup is expanded, not reduced, and that many string acts are present, including Yonder Mountain String Band, the festival's host group for many years.

Other acts slated to perform in 2015 including bluegrass-first jam band Leftover Salmon, world-music-meets-dance act Beats Antique, neo-soulster Brett Dennen, funk band Lettuce and several local acts, too. A full lineup can be found at phasesofthemoonfestival.com.

Visual arts, a strength of the original Phases festival, will be a strong presence this year as well. Other activities of note include the Sanctuary, a festival space dedicated to meditation, massage and yoga.

Tickets go up in price as the festival date nears, and passes for Phases of the Moon have entered the second pricing tier. Unlike Harvest Festival, Phases of the Moon requires guests to also purchase a camping or parking pass.

NAN What's Up on 05/22/2015

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