The 3rd annual Life is Good Festival will be held on September 22 and 23, featuring two days of live music and activities at the Prowse Farm in Canton, MA, 15 minutes from downtown Boston. A stellar music lineup has been established, and there are activities to satisfy guests of all ages and interests.
The festival will feature three stages of musical talent headlined by Dave Matthews and his longtime friend and collaborator Tim Reynolds. Many other acts are also set to perform, including Sarah Bareilles, Eric Hutchinson, the Infamous Stringduster, and several children-oriented groups like the Kidz Bop Kids. Planned activities range from games like tug-o-war and a watermelon seed spitting contest, to a bmx stunt show and stations for guests to show off their arts and crafts skills.
The Life is Good company, with a motto of “Spread Optimism,” founded the music festival in 2010 to form a one-of-a-kind fundraiser in support of their Life is Good Playmakers. The Playmakers group helps children throughout the country, including those suffering from poverty, violence, and illness. Last year’s festival raised over $1 million, and this year the bar has been raised.
All profits from the Life is Good Festival are donated to the Playmakers, enabling them to do their charitable work. According to the festival’s official website, the purpose of the event is “to create a community of fundraisers,” and “fundraising efforts go directly to providing continuing education, resources and support to teachers, social workers, nurses, and others dedicated to ensuring that children grow up feeling safe, loved and joyful.”
Those who plan on attending the Life is Good Festival are rewarded for raising money in advance of the show, and several fundraising ideas are listed on the festival’s website. Three special packages are awarded to attendees who meet certain fundraising goals. Guests who raise at least $150 receive the “Be on the Team” package, getting a free Life is Good Festival t-shirt and 25 percent off their next purchase from the company. Those who raise $500 get the first package and a few other perks including access to the exclusive “V.G.P.” (Very Good Person) Lounge area and snacks throughout the weekend. For $1,000+, fundraisers receive everything from the first two packages plus complimentary bar drinks, free onsite parking, and private acoustic performances from some of the show’s musical guests.
Tickets are on sale now from the festival’s website. Passes for Saturday ( September 22) or Sunday (September 23) are available to adults for $65 and kids (12 & under) for $20. Ticket packages for both days are priced at $120/adults, $35/kids. In lieu of a “ticket service fee,” an additional $10/adults and $5/kids are added to every purchase for a donation to the Playmakers.
Gates into the festival open at 11:00 a.m., and the music, games, and activities continue until 9:00 each night. On-site camping is not allowed, but there are several nearby hotels to provide accommodations. Detailed daily schedules for the event, including the musical lineups and activities, will be released later in the summer.
