The second year of the Peacemaker Music and Arts Festival starts today when the gates open at 4 p.m. Five bands will perform today and five on Saturday for the second year's official lineup, but that won't be the end of the festivities. A companion event serving the hungover and the homeless -- literally -- will take place Sunday morning, bringing the festival to a close. "Praise God and Pass the Biscuits" is the brainchild of Mike Hart, a board member for the Peacemaker Festival, and will bring homeless members of the community together with festival-goers to enjoy a gourmet brunch.
"For a long time, I've wanted to do an event on Sunday like I went to in Las Vegas: brunch at the House of Blues," Hart says. Last year's breakfast, which happened on the third morning of the then three-day festival, fed more than 200 people. "We had all these [sponsors], and it wasn't second hand. Chef Eli French wasn't just making a normal breakfast, he was making gourmet food. We took vans and went out looking for people. We picked them all up and had a great time. It was a moment you wish you could give every day, but you can't. But if you can do that just once a year, it's [rewarding]."
A local pastor gave a 15-minute sermon followed by gospel performances while guests shared the meal. Hart says they are already expecting nearly double the attendance for this year's brunch, but the sermon and the gospel will stay the same.
"We try to keep [the sermon] short. This is an outreach program, and [is about] what you can do for your brother. You don't want to shove an hour sermon down your brother's throat just because you like it," Hart says.
Instead, what the event strives to do is bring people together to help those in need and raise awareness for people who may not be conscious of the struggles of others in their community.
"When [the homeless people] walk out of that pavilion with their food, they have a whole hell of a lot more issues to worry about in this world than this one singular act of kindness," Hart says. "You can help these people, but it's not like everybody is swaying and singing gospel songs. You really see a different side of life that you kind of usually turn your head to. I think it helps the people serving more than those being served."
Hart welcomes anyone looking for a good (free) meal on Sunday morning. He says hungover festival-goers, event volunteers and homeless families ate and talked together at the same tables last year, and he's had even more volunteers reaching out to lend a hand this year. He is encouraging community members to bring backpacks filled with any supplies they'd like to donate to the homeless families who will attend this year's breakfast.
"That's what I've asked people to do. If they want to pack it with whatever they want, it doesn't matter. It will be used," Hart says. "Some of these families had these little barefoot kids out there. This was a hundred degree day, and they're on asphalt with no shoes. Flip flops, canned goods, toothbrushes, whatever they want, it will be used."
FAQ
'Praise God and Pass the Biscuits'
WHEN -- 10 a.m. Sunday
WHERE -- Riverfront Pavilion in Fort Smith
COST -- Free
INFO -- peacemakerfest.com
Turnpike Troubadours
Joining the lineup of the second annual festival are local favorites and Oklahoma natives, the Turnpike Troubadours.
"We sort of grew up in the area. It's pretty nice to be that close to home for me," says R.C. Edwards, bass player for the group. "We don't get to play there very often, so my friends and family will get to come to that one pretty easy.
The Troubadours are the headliners of today's lineup, so they'll be closing down the stage. Being the final act of the night is another reason they're excited for Peacemaker because Edwards says it'll give them the chance to see more of the acts performing before them.
"We don't get to see that many bands on our own. I'm going to try to catch everybody that day," he says. Peacemaker will be the second night of three in a row the Troubadours will perform in the same lineup as Old 97's and American Aquarium. Edwards says traveling with the other two bands, even for only a few nights, makes the whole week feel like a mini-festival for them. [The other bands] "are some of our favorite bands, and they're all friends of ours. It's a great lineup, and we're pretty pumped. We're looking forward to getting to hang out with them."
Edwards recommends that festival-goers come early and have a good time with all the great bands in today's lineup. Just don't ask him too far in advance what songs the Troubadours will be playing.
"We call a lot of audibles. The show's not planned out. You kind of go by the audience and what feels right."
FAQ
Turnpike Troubadours
WHEN -- 10 p.m. today
WHERE -- Riverfront Park in Fort Smith
COST -- $39-$199
INFO -- peacemakerfest.com
NAN What's Up on 07/29/2016