Update (September 19): Farm Aid 2016 has come and gone. The annual event, held September 17 at Bristow, Virginia, attracted 20,000 fans just outside the nation’s capital to celebrate what the event planners described as “groundbreaking, cooperative approaches to overcoming barriers to a family farm system of agriculture.” The music on the stage featured Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, along with Alabama Shakes, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Jamey Johnson with a special guest appearance by Alison Krauss and many more.
Watch Neil Young and Promise of the Real performing at Farm Aid 2016
Our original post announcing the lineup…
Another outstanding lineup has been announced for Farm Aid, the annual all-day music and food festival, that will take place this year on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA, near Washington, DC.
Farm Aid 2016 will feature performances by Board Members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds, Alabama Shakes, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and Margo Price, among others.
Related: Enjoy Rateliff’s great “S.O.B.” as it segues to The Band’s “The Shape I’m In”
“Folks are educating themselves about where and how food is grown—they’re hungry for the truth,” says Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson. “Family farmers bring us good food, protect our soil and water, and strengthen our country. The Farm Aid concert is a day for us to honor that truth and keep working for family farmers.”
Farm Aid 2016 festivalgoers will be able to experience family farm agriculture firsthand and will enjoy family farm-identified, local and organic foods at Farm Aid’s homegrown concessions. In Farm Aid’s homegrown village, experiencing the culture of agriculture with hands-on activities about soil, water, food and farming is also part of the fun. Farm Aid 2016 will feature composting, including compostable service-ware, throughout the venue, with the goal of zero waste.
“Music and food have an incredible power to bring people together,” said Farm Aid executive director Carolyn Mugar. “At Farm Aid 2016, we’ll join forces and raise our voices for a farm and food system that is good for people and communities, not just for the profits of a few.”
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America.
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Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the festival which took place at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago. Over the years, Farm Aid has boasted a long list of well-known artists including Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel and the late Lou Reed just to name a few. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $50 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
More exciting news for Farm Aid today as it also launched #Road2FarmAid, a virtual campaign inviting people to share the actions that ordinary people are taking to make extraordinary system changes starting in their own communities. People can participate at road2.farmaid.org and enter to win Farm Aid 2016 tickets.
Tickets for Farm Aid 2016 will go on sale Monday, June 27, at 10 am ET. Ticket will be available for purchase here. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be sold beginning at 12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 22, at farmaid.org.
Along with the tickets, Farm Aid will offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from meeting artists backstage for a “Homegrown Eat & Greet” to joining Farm Aid board artists for a kickoff press event on June 27. Check out IfOnly.com for more info.
For event updates, you can follow Farm Aid on Twitter and on Facebook.
