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Nestled snugly in Ogden’s lovely Fort Buenaventura park, the Ogden Music Festival is a long-running concert series that brings together lovers of acoustic music and summer fun. This year’s lineup boasted artists like Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, She She She, Celisse, The Pickpockets, Sarah Jarosz and Wyatt Ellis to name a few. The grass in front of the stage fills with the blankets and chairs of folks who are excited to enjoy the sun and some beautiful acoustic tunes. The 2024 iteration of the series was incredible, to say the least: great weather, great people and no venue change due to flooding.
While the dancing and excitement on stage is exciting, as you explore the event, you’ll find quieter corners to hang out and enjoy more music-related activities. The “instrument petting zoo” was set up for kids to pick up different instruments to learn more about them and see if they enjoyed them. Plus, there were plenty of arts and crafts to do as a family.
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There were also workshops and “jam camps” where folks could pull up a seat and jam with each other for a while. This is where the Ogden Music Festival felt the most special—to me, anyway. It’s amazing to see a group of mostly strangers sit together in a circle to create incredible sounds together. Everyone plays into the rhythm of the song until it comes to their turn to solo and riff. Listening to one of these sessions knowing that nothing quite like it will ever happen again really makes you live in the moment, and listen closely to the music.
Overall, the Ogden Music Festival is a beautiful, fun and safe event for everyone in the family. They encourage creativity, exploration and having a good time. It’s very well organized and you just can’t beat the views. This year’s festival is over, but you can count on it being back next year with even more talent and fun for the family. Check out more coverage on the festival’s Instagram page @ogdenmusicfestival and give them a follow so you know when the dates for next year come around.