mulberry mountain

One of the highlights of any festival is the atmosphere. It's almost a sub-culture that is hard to describe to anyone that has never experienced it. Wakarusa is no different, and with the attendance numbers sky rocketing, this year would be better than ever to people watch. Here are several photos of the sights, people and just plain madness that took place this year. Enjoy!

Check out the gang of photos, after the jump.

High on the heels of the latest big announcement, the 2009 edition of the annual Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival has announced its first round of artists set to perform at the four-day event. Topping the bill with "two big sets" a piece are newgrass stalwarts Yonder Mountain String Band and electro-rockers Sound Tribe Sector 9. Late night spots were rewarded to two Waka-veterans including funksters Galactic, whom switched out their late-night spot last year with the tardy Cake, and virtuoso rock guitarist Buckethead, whom always pulls in a rather large crowd. Many bands will be playing the recently relocated festival for the first time this year including classic hip-hop group Digable Planets, the Trey Spruance (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle) fronted Secret Chiefs 3 and legendary reggae rhythm duo Sly & Robbie. As always, many more jambands are confirmed for the June 4th-7th, northwest Arkansas event.

See the full list of initial artists after the jump

Mulberry Mountain

With the onslaught of winter finally hitting us here in Texas, bringing temperatures down to the mid 30's, here is another bit of festival news to get your mind off of the snow currently hitting your window.

Two of my favorite summer destinations just collided today with the announcement of Wakarusa's new location and dates. Taking place June 4-7, 2009, Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival is set to go down at one of the US's premier camping festival sites, Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, AR. If you are a regular reader of our site, you might remember our great experiences on the Mountain this past September. You might also remember our not-so-amazing time at Wakarusa last June. The much needed move by Wakarusa to private land will build upon what was created in Lawrence and make it even better. We shall see how many people turn out for the first year in a new site, in a new state, but you can rest assured that come June, at least two members of the BOT crew will be in attendance!

Check out the press release after the jump

Just when we thought our 2008 camping festival season had ended with July's Rothbury Festival, we added on another. Eggs and I have been wanting to attend the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival for the past couple of years, and this September we'll finally get our chance. The third edition of the event will take place September 11-13 near Ozark, AR, in the heart of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. The musical lineup features a wealth of talent from in and around the bluegrass and jam scenes, including Umphrey's McGee, Leftover Salmon, Perpetual Groove, Hot Buttered Rum, New Monsoon, and Dirtfoot.

We've heard tons of great things about Mulberry Mountain, and we're excited that we'll soon be experiencing the magic for ourselves. We're especially looking forward to participating in the Chompdown on the Mountain Deux, a bacon-friendly breakfast gathering featuring live music, yummy food, and kind people. What better way to start off a dance-filled day of great live music? You should be there too - festival tickets are a mere $120 for an action-packed three-day pass (camping included), and they're on sale here.

View the Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival press release, musical lineup, and more info after the jump