Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival

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Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival
Location(s) Lawrence, Kansas, US
Years active 2004 - present
Date(s) Early to Mid-June
Genre(s) Jam bands, Alternative rock, Hip hop

Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival is a weekend music festival held annually in early June just outside Lawrence, Kansas since 2004. It hosts music of the jam band genre, notably rock, jazz, funk, Bluegrass, electronica and folk music. Other activities include disc golf, yoga, hiking, swimming in Clinton Lake along with many other attractions. In 2004, 7500 paid attendees came but the festival suffered from severe scalping. In 2005, the daily attendance records showed 50,000 entries, although each day was capped at 15,000 due to an agreement with Clinton State Park.[1] A little more than 15,000 attendees were estimated for 2006.[2]

Contents

[edit] 2006

The 2006 artist lineup included:

and others.[3]

In addition, the 2006 festival made available a low-power broadcasting radio station called Waka-radio, by pairing up with University of Kansas radio station KJHK.[4]

Following the William Pospisil controversy the year before, Wakarusa organizers increased the security presence at the festival in 2006, irritating some attendees with stricter guidelines for conduct, and longer waits to enter and exit the festival.[5] Many festival goers complained of a heavy police presence. Many drug confiscations occurred and some rumors of police brutality were spread. Several articles later were published with information about state of the art police surveillance that was being used at the festival. Wakarusa later issued a statement discussing the police force and asked all those affected to step forward.

[edit] 2005

In 2005, the festival was marred by the discovery of a deceased individual on site; later determined to be William J. Pospisil, 29, of Key Largo, Florida.[6] A coroner's report determined that Pospisil died of a drug overdose.[7]

[edit] Notable past performers

The festival has had performances from many notable artists, including:

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/jun/24/wakarusa/?wakarusa_festival_2005
  2. ^ http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/special_packages/calendar/14762250.htm
  3. ^ http://www.wakarusa.com/2006/lineup.asp
  4. ^ http://www.wakarusa.com/2006/radio.asp
  5. ^ http://www.lawrence.com/news/2006/jun/11/after_three_days_music_madness_heat_and_police_wak/
  6. ^ http://www.lawrence.com/news/2005/jun/21/aswakarusafestivelgoers/
  7. ^ http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/sep/09/coroner_festival_camper_died_overdose/?wakarusa_festival_2005

[edit] External links

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