MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Diego Winegardner, founder of the new Mempho Music Festival, hopes to bring the community together for good food, great music and healing.
The festival, which runs Friday through Sunday at Shelby Farms Park, will host a mix of over 40 artists both local and popular, food, vendors and murals by local artists. Organizers are expecting nearly 10,000 people to attend.
“We have a lot of local artists. We have a great lineup, we have Grammy winners all over the top of the bill,” Winegardner said.
Artists include Cage the Elephant , a Stax Tribute to Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper and Grammy-nominated rapper and drummer anderson .paak.
Winegarden said he was completely blown away with the Shelby Farms Park after his visit to the Bluff City last year. The Memphis native had moved to New York.
“Memphis has always been a place of music, and when I discovered Shelby Farms Park I felt like it was going to be a perfect marriage put together a music festival here,” Winegarden said.
Behind the music, Winegarden and the team at Mempho Music Festival have put plenty of work into making the festival secure.
After the events of the Las Vegas shooting that happened just last week, Winegarden and local and national officials got together to look at the festivals’ security plans.
“We have spent a lot of time with both Homeland Security and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department working in a collaborative process to put together the best plan possible. Since the events of Vegas, we have resisted that plan and there have been some enhancements to that plan,” said Winegarden.
“The park is going to be super secure both on the outside as well as the inside, so everyone should feel very safe being here and coming out and enjoying the music festival.”
Winegarden did say that his message to all politicians is to “show some courage” and to not let the events of Las Vegas stop “how we go about enjoying the company of our family and friends” and music events.
“We should come together and if anything, music a very healing power,” said Winegardner.
Winegarden suggests with the additional security check-in that you should get to the festival a little earlier.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to re-educate the community here as well as the broader audience of music fans all around the country about the impact of Memphis music on American music.”
For additional information on purchasing tickets and travel information check out the Mempho Music Festival Website.