Entering A New 'Phase'

Farewell, Mulberry Mountain Harvest Festival.

Hello, Phases of the Moon Music + Arts Festival.

Organizers associated with both festivals announced a merger of the two music events on Monday, promising a new era for both. In doing so, Phases of the Moon becomes the second festival to relocate to the Mulberry Mountain site in rural Franklin County. Wakarusa followed a similar trajectory, starting in Kansas in 2004, operating for five years, then moving to Mulberry Mountain just off Arkansas 23. The combined Harvest and Phases of the Moon festival, which will carry the latter's moniker, will take place Oct. 16-18, a time in line with recent Harvest Fest events.

Phases of the Moon debuted in 2014 near Danville, Ill. Last year's inaugural festival included performances by The String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Tedeschi Trucks Band and more.

Harvest Festival, meanwhile, started in Arkansas. It first took place in 2006, then formed a partnership with Yonder Mountain String Band for the 2010 edition of the festival and started using the band's name on the marquee. Festival organizers moved the dates for the festival several times, often in response to weather events, such as the time the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through the area in 2008 and tossed tents around.

"Though the Harvest name may fade, the memories never will, and we are very excited to blow you away with a whole new era of incredible fall festivals on the Mountain!" said original organizers Dewey Patton and Amber Patton in a statement issued through Harvest Festival's Facebook page. A call to Yonder Mountain String Band's publicist to clarify that band's role -- if any -- was not returned prior to deadline.

Weather and long-term financial decisions were cited as the reason for Phases of the Moon's departure from Kennekuk County Park in Illinois. Sam Shear, who founded Phases of the Moon with his father, Barry Shear, said the combination of beautiful space and proven festival-ready infrastructure in Arkansas made the partnership the right move.

"They will virtually combine," Sam Shear says. "We'd heard so much about the magic mountain."

In fact, it was a trip to Mulberry Mountain that helped spur the merger. A Phases of the Moon colleague came back from last year's Harvest Festival raving about the event, Barry Shear says. Late last year, a partnership with Pipeline Productions -- responsible for Harvest, Wakarusa and the country music festival Thunder on the Mountain -- was proposed. Discussions advanced, and a merger resulted.

Sam Shear says the lineup will be a combination of the kind of progressive jam acts booked for the first year of Phases and the kind of rootsy, Americana acts frequently found on the Harvest roster.

Importantly, Barry Shear says, the newly combined festival will keep the Phases of the Moon festival's focus on art and entertainment beyond music.

The process of building the lineup is under way, Sam Shear says. Band names may be released in March.

Phases of the Moon drew about 8,000 music fans its first year, a number approximately equal to the number at last year's Harvest Festival. Barry Shear hopes the festival's footprint will eventually grow, but the focus in 2015 will be on offering a successful festival with the right atmosphere.

"We're hoping one plus one equals three," he says.