Thundering Away

Musicians rally to replace canceled festival

Organizers of the Thunder on the Mountain country music festival set to take place June 26-28 on Mulberry Mountain near Ozark announced June 13 the event was canceled, but an Arkansas performer is organizing an alternative three-day music festival for the same weekend.

"It is with great regret that due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to hold Thunder on the Mountain," the festival's production company, Pipeline Productions, posted on social media.

FAQ

Music on the Mulberry

WHEN — June 26-28

WHERE — Byrd’s Adventure Center, 7037 Cass Oark Road

COST — $75 for a three-day pass

INFO — lancecarpentermusic…

Headliners Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band and The Band Perry, along with 50 other acts, were scheduled to perform. Refunds will be sent within 90 days, according to a Pipeline email sent to ticket holders. Those who bought tickets from one of the festival's regional outlets should return them to the place they were purchased, according to a Pipeline social media post.

Despite the cancellation, Lance Carpenter, an Ozark native who was scheduled to perform at Thunder on the Mountain, has tried to salvage the weekend by organizing Music on the Mulberry.

"I knew it would cost me money, but I wanted to put something together to give people who have been planning for months and months to come to this festival something to do," Carpenter says. "It will be a lot of work, and it's very, very crazy right now, but we're going to get some great talent."

More than 20 other artists, including headliner Keith Anderson, Backroad Anthem, Highway Run, Matt Huff, Devious Angels, Drew Baldridge and Rachael Turner, have committed to play at Music on the Mulberry, and the list will continue to grow, Carpenter says. More than 100 artists, including some who were supposed to perform at Thunder on the Mountain, have inquired, he says.

"I promise it's going to be music people know, young and old," Carpenter says.

Tickets to Music on the Mulberry went on sale Monday and can be purchased through a link on the new festival's Facebook page or the Lance Carpenter website. They will also be available at the gate. A three-day pass costs $75, and a single-day ticket for Sunday may be available for $35.

The festival will take place at Byrd's Adventure Center, located about 10 miles from where Thunder on the Mountain was to take place. Camping reservations are not included in the ticket price, but Byrd's is offering the regular rate of $10 a night instead of event pricing.

"The overwhelming support online from people that I don't even know has been amazing," Carpenter says. "That's the country music community. When someone needs a helping hand, someone's there to get your back. Hopefully the good Lord will give us some good weather, and everything will go off without a hitch."

-- Jaime Dunaway

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 06/19/2015

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