For immediate release – June 29, 2015
Contact – Roz Lehman, Iowa Rivers Revival, 515-724-4093
Clean Water for Iowa will be showcased in a new partnership between Iowa Rivers Revival (IRR) and the Hinterland Music Festival at Des Moines Water Works Park July 31 – August 1.
The Hinterland Music Festival will feature IRR’s “River Village” to provide an educational and interactive forum for kids and adults to raise awareness about Iowa’s water quality problems and opportunities for improvement.
Volunteers are needed at the “River Village” to help share information and resources that will help improve water quality and protect Iowa’s rivers. Volunteers will receive a festival ticket for a four-hour shift. Shifts are Friday from 4-8 or 5-9 p.m. and Saturday from 11-3, 2-6 or 4-8 p.m. Contact IRR at jdreier@iowarivers.org or 515.724.4093.
Hinterland Music Festival is a weekend of great blue grass and folk music under the Midwest stars and backdrop of the Des Moines skyline — located in gorgeous Water Works Park, a 1,500-acre oasis in the center of the city.
The inaugural festival features a lineup handpicked by First Fleet Concerts’ Sam Summers, including Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, TV on the Radio, Future Islands, Brandi Carlile, Yonder Mountain String Band and more.
“We are pleased to connect our festival with this important social and environmental cause,” Summers said. “With an estimated 16,000 festival attendees over 2 days, this will be a great opportunity to raise awareness about clean water to Iowans, rural and urban alike.”
Roz Lehman, executive director of IRR, said, “The festival provides an excellent opportunity to connect Iowans to important issues that affect Iowa’s water quality and natural resources. We look forward to this opportunity to build awareness and support for these important issues.”
Iowa Rivers Revival is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to river education and advocacy. IRR engages individuals, organizations, communities, and government leaders in river awareness, responsibility and enjoyment in an effort to improve and enhance the condition of Iowa waterways and ensure a quality, safe and lasting resource.
IRR is championing a statewide river restoration program to improve, protect and enhance Iowa’s rivers for years to come. Natural river restoration provides a low-cost, sustainable approach to help improve water quality, reduce flood damage, protect land and infrastructure (bridges, trails, roads), and enhance wildlife and the environment.
The Festival’s “River Village” will feature:
Local artists Pam Dennis and Ryk Weiss will facilitate a large collaborative art installation alongside concert-goers during the two day event. “Their passion and commitment to the outdoors is reflected in their work and perfectly complements the festival and clean water theme,” Lehman said. “The materials they use emphasize the fragility of our environment, the importance of caring for the earth, and awareness of beauty hidden within everything.”
“Water Rocks!” Conservation Station (Friday only) will provide hands-on activities that challenge and inspire a greater appreciation of water resources. “Water Rocks” is a statewide youth water education campaign fostering knowledge, caring and engagement for clean water issues. It is based at Iowa State University.
“Clean Water” interactive displays and activities for all ages will address: water pollutants (“Fishing for Pollutants”); river restoration and conservation (NRCS stream table and information about successful river restoration projects); river safety (low-head dam model); and recreational opportunities (boats, river map showing over 70,000 miles of Iowa rivers and streams, and free “River Trail” maps to inspire recreation and adventure).
Overnight camping will be available to festival-goers on-site at Water Works Park.
Growing Green Communities is a sponsor of the “River Village” and a strong advocate for Clean Water in Iowa. Growing Green Communities is a non-profit organization with a mission to transform the way we develop land, manage water and create connectivity within communities. The group is dedicated to education and awareness of conservation design, watershed protection and residential environmental stewardship.
Summers said: “The Hinterland Music Festival is inspired by the place where we live — the city of Des Moines and the state of Iowa, areas that capture that Midwestern knack for finding the beauty in all things urban and rural. “Rivers and water are two of the most important common assets of Midwest places,” Summers said. “Lending a weekend of great music under the stars and the city skyline to showcase these assets and redoubling our resolve to protect them is an ideal match.”
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Hinterland Music Festival Details: Friday, July 31 – August 1, 2015 Des Moines Water Works Park — Camping is available Festival Tickets: $75/2-day or $45/day (camping is additional)
Note: River Village volunteers are needed, and volunteers will receive a festival ticket for a four-hour shift. Contact IRR at: [jdreier@iowarivers.org or 515.724.4093]
More details about the Hinterland Festival, including tickets and camping information, can be found at hinterlandiowa.com.
More details about Iowa Rivers Revival can be found at iowarivers.org.
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