UTOPiAfest returns

COVID-19 may have canceled UTOPiAfest in 2020, but the enormous music festival will make its way back to the Highland Lakes in 2021.

UTOPiAfest 12 will take place Oct. 15-16 at Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet, and will consist of nonstop music and fun activities for guests of all ages.

What started out as a small gathering on a family ranch in Utopia has grown into a large event where unique singers and songwriters bring their craft for the enjoyment of music lovers of all kinds. This BYOB event is family friendly and features two stages with no overlap in performances.

Along with constant live music, UTOPiAfest utilizes the property at Reveille Peak Ranch to feature discgolf, mountain biking, yoga, and children’s activities for guests to enjoy throughout the festival.

Headlining this year’s festival will be Rubblebucket and Shinyribs. Other performers include Matthew Logan Vasquez, Henry Invisible, Garrett T. Capps w. Augie Meyers, Vincent Antone, Tephra Sound (Helen Gillet, Nikki Glaspie and Brian Haas), Temple Underground, Mixer Rogres, Batty Jr., Mikaela Davis, Trouble in the Streets, Lunar Rae, Madam Radar, Wonky Tonk, Defrance and Lombardy.

Founder Travis Sutherland started the festival in his hometown on his family’s ranch in 2009 to bring his family and friends together and showcase talented musicians he came to know during his time in San Marcos in the early 2000’s.

“I have been involved as a musician or a fan since moving to San Marcos, and that is part of how it began,” Sutherland said. “I went to so many shows, met a lot of musicians, knew all of these bands personally, and convinced them to come play in the pasture. “The first year we invited friends and family, about 200 people showed up, and we had a great time and just enjoyed the music,” Sutherland added. “We decided then to keep doing it and do it bigger and better every year.”

Since then, the event has grown exponentially and more and more artists have been added to the lineup.

Sutherland and his crews’ desire to bring more elements into the events eventually lent it the big festival feel, something they enjoy about events like Austin City Limits and other music festivals.

The festival took place in its hometown for nine years, but as the event grew, Sutherland and crew decided to look for another area to bring their music and activities, and in 2018, Reveille Peak Ranch became the new home for the festival.

“In 2017 we realized we were going to have to find a more sustainable, longterm home, and give the family and ranch a little bit of a break,” Sutherland said. “Reveille Peak took us in, and were really gracious, great hosts; we had a great experience where we ended up.”

Sutherland said the land at Reveille Peak Ranch mirrors that of his hometown, creating a great atmosphere for the festival, and the crew plans to stick around for the next four years, meaning more music and entertainment for the Highland Lakes.

“We have a lot of awesome bands this year,” Sutherland said. “Myself and everyone on the team are musicians and our taste is out of the mainstream. We like to find bands who have good musicianship, good songs, positive messages, and positive energy.”

“We have a mixture of folk, bluegrass, Americana mixed in with funk, soul, rock and roll, world music, and everything in between,” Sutherland said. “People are coming more for the experience than the bands that are coming, and will find new bands that they love.”

A full schedule of bands and activities, as well as photos from past events may be found at utopiafest.com.

Various ticket packages and campsites are also available at the website. Guests may bring their own drinks to the festival, and may also purchase beer, wine, and Hill Country spirits on site. To get a feel of the type of music performed at the festival, a UTOPiAfest station may be found on Spotify.