Amongst The Mulberry Mountains

Dave Santoro
Pi Kappa Alpha

Each summer, one of the most anticipated music festivals takes place deep in the Ozark Mountains, bringing both music and nature together creating an experience unlike any other festival.  Nestled on the Mulberry Mountain, Wakarusa makes for a great opportunity to pitch a tent and camp by the grounds with some friends for a weekend and one of the more unique festivals around.  

Yes, I realize this means a weekend in the middle of nowhere with no showers and a lot of people you don’t know. Earnest Hemingway says, “live life to the fullest,” and the Wakarusa experience is a great experience to check off your bucket list. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a nice shower and a tempurpedic mattress, but sometimes you just need to strap on your Chaco’s, throw on some shades and enjoy what we call mountains here in Arkansas.

There are pros and cons to every situation.  Now that the cons are out of the way, let’s talk about the pros.  To begin, tons of world class artists have graced Wakarusa with their presence – The Black Keys, Bassnectar, Slightly Stupid, The Flaming Lips, and Wilco – just to name a few.  If you haven’t heard of any these artists, you may want to reconsider what you are listening to.  Wakarusa has a taste of every genre from electronic to folk, to a splash of blues.  I realize that the majority of our generation today listens to hip-hop and rap – I’ll be the first to admit I do as well - and Wakarusa is not known for bringing in big names like Jay-Z or Dr. Dre. But this allows us to break away from our roots and enjoy something of a different pace. 

Now, Wakarusa has a tendency to attract five to 10 relatively well-known artists each year, while the other 40 to 45 artists are rather unknown and under the radar.  I know what you’re thinking; why would you want to go to a festival with a bunch of no-names?  Well, that is the beauty of the festival.  

Many of the no-name artists eventually make it to the limelight. Pretty Lights, Girl Talk and Yonder Mountain String Band all performed at Wakarusa before they started selling out Madison Square Garden  – why wouldn’t you want to see these artists kill it before they become the next Sinatra?  This is no Coachella, Austin City Limits or Lollapalooza, which is one of the reasons it’s not stacked with major headliners. However, as the years have progressed, more and more artists seek the Wakarusa atmosphere.  It’s grabbing the nation's attention as one of the most sought-after festivals this summer, while still keeping a myriad of no-names and the small festival feel. 

To get you excited about this summer, headliners such as Pretty Lights, The Avett Brother, Big Gigantic, Edward Sharpe, Girl Talk and G. Love will do their best to serenade you on your weekend amidst the Mulberry Mountain May 31-June 3.  At this point I suggest that you buy your weekend pass, rent your tent from the HPE, and dust off those Chaco’s, because this is a festival you won’t want to miss.

Dave is a sophomore studying business. You may contact him at davesantoro7@gmail.com.