ALTON - Alton Main Street, the Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project and Jacoby Arts Center are announcing the return of the Mississippi Earthtones Festival to the Alton Amphitheater on Saturday, September 21st from noon until 10:00 p.m. The organizations are seeking artists, sponsors and volunteers for their 18th annual event. Booth space has reached capacity, with 25 environmental education exhibits, 70 eco-friendly artists and makers, and 10 culinary vendors participating. The festival attracts approximately 5,000 community members and tourists to Downtown Alton to celebrate our river through art, music, and conservation.
Live music will fill the air throughout the day. The entertainment lineup on the main stage will feature: Ahna and the Couch Burners (blues, jazz, classic rock, and reggae) from 12:00-2:00, Aaron Kamm & the One Drops (Roots Reggae and Mississippi River Blues) from 3:00-6:00, Jake’s Leg (the longest running Grateful Dead tribute in the United States) from 7:00-10:00, and between each act will be a performance by Jason “Gordo” Gordon (1-Man, 10-Piece Band) from 2:00-3:00 and 6:00-7:00.
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Local artists will offer nature-inspired, hand-made, and environmentally-friendly wares. Jacoby Arts Center is lining up an amazing day of performances and interactive art experiences, and all local artists are welcome to participate. Many creatives are being commissioned to design art installations that will enhance the festival grounds. The event is free to attend, and delicious local food and beverages will be available for purchase. The Old Bakery Beer Company has created a special “Earthtones IPA”, an India Pale Ale with tropical fruit notes, which will be available at the brewery in coming weeks as well as at the festival.
A variety of fun and educational activities are planned for families from Noon until 6:00 p.m., and there will be several agencies on hand to teach consumers how to incorporate more sustainable practices into their daily lives. Conservation-based organizations will offer exhibits to showcase their missions, and environmentally-conscious businesses will have booths to promote their products to the crowd while also supporting our community’s commitment to protect the Mississippi River—our region’s most important natural resource.
A fun recreational paddle on the Mississippi River called the Great Rivers Rendezvous is being coordinated by the Mississippi River Water Trail Association on the morning of the festival. Participants can choose from three launch points departing 3 miles, 7 miles, or 12 miles upriver. Participants on all routes will be accompanied by trained safety boaters from paddling organizations associated with the Missouri Paddling Coalition, and all participants will finish at Alton’s Riverfront Park to enjoy the festival afterwards. Full details and registration information can be found at www.MississippiRiverWaterTrail.org
Volunteers are needed for short shifts on September 21st at the festival grounds, as well as for the MEF River Clean Up which will take place the following Saturday, Sept. 28th; to date nearly 50 tons of trash have been removed from the river at MEF clean ups. Anyone who pitches in on either Saturday will receive a free festival t-shirt.
“The theme of this year’s Mississippi Earthtones Festival is ‘Emerge and Be Heard’, and we will fill Alton’s riverfront with art that interprets this subject. We can’t wait to introduce attendees to the wide variety of entertainers and exhibitors who are committed to celebrating and protecting our beautiful Mississippi River,” said Sara McGibany, Executive Director of Alton Main Street.
The Sierra Club will purchase carbon credits to offset the carbon emissions associated with the festival’s footprint, ensuring they maximize their positive impact. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to engage with various non-profit organizations during the event, taking action for both people and the planet while enjoying a festive atmosphere. Christine Favilla, Three Rivers Project Co-coordinator, emphasized, “Attendees can feel assured that we are taking significant steps to minimize the environmental footprint related to the lights, sounds, hotel stays, and transportation to and from the festival.”
This event is held annually on the third Saturday in September as part of the State of Illinois’ “It’s Our River Day” initiative to celebrate Illinois watersheds through education, recreation and conservation activities. To inquire about sponsoring the event please email info@altonmainstreet.org, and to sign up as a volunteer please visit www.DowntownAlton.com/Events. To stay up-to-date on announcements, please follow: www.facebook.com/EarthtonesFestival.
About Alton Main Street
Alton Main Street is a community based, not-for-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to securing the economic vitality and aesthetic quality of Alton’s historic downtown district. Since 1994, Alton Main Street has led volunteer efforts to transform Downtown Alton into a thriving commercial and residential center through education, historic preservation, and coordination of social, economic, and beautification activities. To learn more, visit www.DowntownAlton.com.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About Jacoby Arts Center
The mission of Jacoby Arts Center is to nurture and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts through education, exhibits, cultural programs, and community outreach initiatives. For details on upcoming classes, events and programming, please visit www.JacobyArtsCenter.org.
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