1/5/2008: Details on plans for 2008 will be posted to this site in coming months. Merchants interested in vending here can sign up to our mailing list to receive e-mail when an announcement is made. For entertainment, casual planning has the event going in a more family oriented direction for 2008 instead of being a music festival.
Press Release
We will be issuing press releases for 2008 closer to the event time.
Old Press Release - 2007
The Des Moines Des Moines Wild West "Family Fun" Fest Rides In To Festival Park
FESTIVAL
PARK – Don’t miss the Des Moines Wild West "Family Fun" Fest on June
30th and July 1st!
The Des Moines Wild West "Family Fun" Fest is being held at Festival Park adjacent to Sleepy
Hollow.
Opening Gate for the event is 11 AM Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will
end around
dusk followed by fireworks and Sunday will wrap up around 6 PM.
The Wild
West Music Fest (WWMF) is a first year event offering country entertainment
for the entire family. There will be games, rides, food, drink, crafts,
clothes, and more
available to peruse, play and taste. The event will also have multiple
shows per day
featuring historical Wild West scenes acted out by local performers,
such as the Battle of
the OK Corral, as well as some original skits written by Kevin Coble.
There will be
street shoot outs, a shoot out show with horses and replica guns, as
well as other, more
historical representations of the Wild West.
“The aim of our festival is to provide some solid underground country
entertainment for
Des Moines fans and families at a reasonable price,” said Max Kenkel,
one of the owners
of Rabbit Hole, LLC, which is the production company putting on the WWMF. “There
are a lot of things for people to do in Des Moines, but not all of them
are affordable. This
gives the whole family a chance to have some fun, see some funny Wild West
shows,
listen to some great music, try some of the great food out here and enjoy
some nice June
and July weather.”
The other big feature of this family oriented
festival is country music. Saturday’s show
will feature both local and national acts including co-headliners Rushlow
Harris from
Nashville and The Wayword Sons from Durango, CO. Other acts Saturday include
local
band Boggy Depot and from Ottumwa The Moonshine Runners. Sunday’s
show features
Shadric Smith and the Billy Buffalo Band from Fort Dodge, John Anderson
of The
Moonshine Runners, She Swings, She Sways from Ottumwa, soloist Jared Wilder,
Back
Porch Mary from Austin, TX, and The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash from California.
As a way to say thanks for serving our communities and country, anyone
with a valid
police, firefighter or military ID will receive one free admission to
the event. Tickets are
$15 dollars for Saturday, $10 for Sunday and $20 for a two-day pass.
Kids ten and under
are free. Discount coupons are available at local area Hy-Vees. This
is a rain or shine
event.
For more information or for questions on how you can volunteer at
the WWMF please
visit www.wildwestmusicfest.com or www.myspace.com/dmwwmf, or call 515-331-
8211. For more information about Festival Park call 515-262-4100. Festival
Park is the
home to the Des Moines Renaissance Faire in September. For more information
on the
DM Ren Faire visit www.dmrenfaire.com.
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