JTMF founder and organizer, Barnett English, has traveled to, attended and worked at over 650 camp-out music festivals since 1993 with his organic espresso café, JavaGogo. On a whim, JavaGogo came to the Joshua Tree Lake Campground in October 2002 to serve up fresh bevvies at the JT Didgeridoo Festival. Barnett recounts, “I drove in at night, then awoke to the magical sweeping views of the National Park and the Copper Mountains. Upon meeting our gracious hosts (Sally & Ken Jayes, JT Lake Campground owners), I told them it’d be a great site for a music festival ! Sally said, “If it’s such a great idea, then you should go for it.”
The seed was planted. Joshua Tree was obviously a beautiful place, but what about the people ? That week a stranger invited Barnett to his birthday party. Two hundred inspired folks dancing around a bonfire. The town was (and still is) populated with outdoorsy, creative, DIY artist types and radically unique individuals. That sealed the deal. Within 6 months Joshua Tree was home. The inaugural JTMF took place on April 11-13, 2003.
The Desert is Freedom, Music is Power, & Community is Crucial.
Founded in 2003, the bi-annual (May & Oct) Joshua Tree Music Festival is held at the gateway to the world-renowned National Park. JTMF is a resource-generating powerhouse of passionate creativity, community empowerment, and arts education for all ages. A family inclusive global music experience in the magical Mojave. Committed to radical inclusion, these four-day funky desert-style festivals create experiences where passion, purpose, family, and friends come together, and the boundary between performer and patron is blurred. The music is diverse and eclectic, from dance-world-electro-funk’n groove to soulful global-ethno melodies.
JTMF promotes personal growth through a variety of multidisciplinary workshops, such as yoga and movement, visual arts, music, and myth. A robust schedule of Kidsville activities makes JTMF one of the top family-friendly festivals in the country. Magnificent art installations and a world market further inspire, intrigue, and invite festival goers. Our mission is to foster social interaction on a deep level, creating positive life-changing moments.
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