CherryWoodstock Music and Art Festival to be part of EAST

By Jeremy Klitzman. Originally published in the November 2018 issue of The Flea

Although the dust from ACL has settled and the hordes of SXSW won’t arrive for many months, festival season is far from over. For Cherrywood, at least. On Sunday, November 11 from noon to 7pm, Cherrywooders will celebrate the return of our very own festival to the neighborhood: CherryWoodstock.

Held in conjunction with the 2018 East Austin Studio Tour (EAST), this free, one day music and art festival celebrates the artists who call or have called Cherrywood home. The festival will feature the work of local artists and live bands with ties to the neighborhood, including Kathy Murray, Hard Proof, and many others.

“This event is about celebrating the creative economy that grows in the Cherrywood neighborhood,” says Jeremy Klitzman, organizer of this year’s event. “Were excited to showcase the musical artists playing at Cherrywood Coffee and the visual artists scattered throughout the neighborhood participating in the East Austin Studio Tour.”

The first CherryWoodstock was organized in 2016 as a way for neighbors to come together and support Cherrywood musicians. A mainly DIY affair, the event featured dozens of neighborhood musicians on a hand-built stage in Patterson Park.

CherryWoodstock 2016. Photos by J. Potter-Miller.

“CherryWoodstock was originally created by a small group of local artists and volunteers to promote the local musicians that live in Cherrywood,” says Jim Reed, chair of the Cherrywood Neighborhood Association. “For 2018, the volunteer group is building upon the organizational knowledge and reaching out to an expanding network of musicians to take the event to the next level.”

“We played the first CherryWoodstock because we love our neighborhood and wanted to introduce ourselves to those who may not have heard of us,” says Bill Murray, guitarist for Kathy and the Kilowatts. “It was a labor of love to be sure, and I think everyone agreed it was a success. We are so happy to be part of this year’s event and look forward to CherryWoodstock 2018.”

Though organizers originally planned to hold the event in Patterson Park again, they moved it to Cherrywood Coffeehouse because of the natural fit and mutual benefit. “We appreciate the neighborhood and want to support it,” says Ryan Marks, co-owner of Cherrywood Coffeehouse. “It wasn’t even a question of ‘Is this event a fit for us?’ We are part of the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is part of us.”

As an official “Happening” of the East Austin Studio Tour too, CherryWoodstock will serve as a launching point for those interested in the visual arts. There will be a selection of works from neighborhood artists participating in the tour and maps pointing studio-goers in the right direction. In addition to musical acts, the festival will have children’s activities; a raffle of more than $800 in gift cards to neighborhood businesses like Sour Duck, Austin Daily Press, and Patrizis; and, an artisan’s market for neighborhood makers to sell their wares, from jewelry to succulents to shirts. Cherrywood Coffee, meanwhile, will be serving up food and drinks all day.

UT’s Tandem Studio, an all-student graphic design studio, has offered pro-bono design work for the festival, including very limited-edition posters and t-shirts for sale before the event (cherrywoodstockfest.com) and during the event at the merch table. All sales of limited edition merch go directly to funding the event.

It’s not a coincidence that the neighborhood is doubling down on CherryWoodstock at a time when Austinites find themselves at odds about neighborhood character. With debates about CodeNext, evolving municipal demographics, and the changing forms and functions of Austin’s neighborhoods, CherryWoodstock aims to transform stranger into neighbors.

“The goal of CherryWoodstock is not to just have another music festival in Austin,” said Klitzman. “We want to create a space and platform that connects us all as neighbors and Austinites. And there’s no better way to do that than with music and art. And maybe a few beers.”

Want to get involved in CherryWoodstock? Email jeremyklitzman@gmail.com or check out cherrywoodstockfest.com to learn about volunteer opportunities.