In May of 2024, Dana Idlet and Noah Richmond of Meadow Makers launched a three-day music festival at Old Friend Farm in Prairie Grove extolling the virtues of sustainability and collaboration while highlighting some of their favorite songwriters and artists. This is Monica Hooper’s second top story of 2024, the original article, “‘Old Friends,’ new collabs: Idlet and Richmond’s festival emphasizes music, nature and creation,” published on May 19, 2024, in What’s Up!

Looking back on their first Old Friends Festival on May 25-26, organizers Dana Idlet and Noah Richmond are full of gratitude.

“All of the sponsors, all of the volunteers … anybody that came out and offered money or food or sweat or time, we just want to say thanks again to everybody,” Richmond said of their festival.

Both are longtime musicians in the area. Dana is the daughter of Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing in America, so putting together a music festival was a natural progression for the duo. Their community was willing to donate time and energy to creating an music and arts festival emphasizing collaboration and sustainability.

“We were really blown away at just generally the quality of the audience and just how respectful everybody was of our vision and what we were trying to make happen,” Richmond said.

Both said they were so very proud of how attendees and volunteers helped keep the festival green.

“We were able to keep over 250 pounds of compost and over 250 pounds of recycling out of the landfills,” Richmond said, adding that Boston Mountain Solid Waste deemed the first Old Friends Festival at Prairie Grove a “zero waste event.” Food Loops, a food waste recycling organization, found only one aluminum can misplaced in the compost.

Workshops like the creative writing workshop led by Bee Balm of Arkansas was well received, but Idlet said they plan to make better signage for the next festival. This May, a bird identification workshop with Ozark musical duo Still on the Hill moved to the water, since it was so hot, which led a couple of bands to follow suit, Idlet said.

Music included The Creek Rocks, Little Mazarn, Dylan Earl, Still on the Hill, Jude Brothers, Trevor Reichman, Creekbed Carter Hogan, Hemlock, True Lions, Mary Elizabeth Remington, Fritz Hutchison Band, Bayard Blain Trio, Star Charger and more. Mike Dillon was artist-at-large.

“Everyone that we chose, we love their songwriting,” said Idlet, who brought in a variety of styles from classic country to punk rock to psychedelic vibraphones and everything in between. Next year’s music will follow suit they said.

“Last year we planned the whole festival in three months, so this year we’re giving ourselves quite a bit more space. We’re excited just to see how it can grow. Maybe not in numbers, but grow in experience and grow in quality, for sure,” Richmond said.

For 2025, Old Friends Festival will be in the fall, Sept. 23-28, to allow those attending more time to set up their campsite and settle in before engaging with the artists beyond the stage show with workshops and collaborative performances in addition to the lineup of concerts.

One of the lessons they learned on their first time around, he added, was they need more volunteers. Anyone interested in lending a hand can find a volunteer form on oldfriendsfarm.com. They are also looking for videos, photos and feedback from those who attended the May festival as they plan for the festival in September.

Idlet said there will be more concerts and events happening at Old Friends Farm in 2025. Keep an eye on the website and social media for updates.

——

At A Glance

Old Friends Festival

See a recap of last year’s festival and keep an eye on the next Old Friends Festival, Sept. 23-28, in Prairie Grove at oldfriendfarms.com.