Concert will take place in Chicago on September 19th
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Farm Aid, the concert designed to raise awareness and support the need for family farms across the United States is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015 and set a date for the celebration to take place.
The concert will take place Saturday, September 19th at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago and feature performances from Farm Aid’s board members John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Willie Nelson.
Illinois hosted the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 and the upcoming event will help showcase the work that’s been done in 30 years.
"We organized the first Farm Aid concert in Illinois in 1985 to respond to the people suffering during the Farm Crisis," said Farm Aid President and founder Willie Nelson. "Thirty years later, in Chicago, we'll bring together so many of the people — farmers, eaters, advocates and activists — who have made the progress of the Good Food Movement possible. At Farm Aid 30, we'll celebrate the impact we've had and rally our supporters for the work ahead."
The concert will feature the HOMEGROWN Village where farmers and other agricultural organizations will be on hand to educate concert goers about the measures farmers are taking to enrich soil, protect waters and stimulate the economy.
“Over the years, we've heard from so many people how crucial it is that we continue to work together and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with family farmers as we fight for change," said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar.
A Twitter campaign has been started to follow the journey to the concert. Using the hashtag #Road2FarmAid, people can share what they’re doing to help support family farms and could win tickets to the concert.
Tickets will go on sale on Monday, August 3rd at 10am CDT. A mobile app will be released in mid-August and for those who cannot attend, Farm Aid 30 will be available for webcast.