This October, the Apache Lake Resort and Marina will be home to more than 60 Arizona bands at the third annual Apache Lake Music Festival.

The festival takes place Oct. 11-13 and offers a family-friendly weekend of concerts, camping and dance parties.

Apache Lake Music Festival“It’s a music festival to create more of a great music culture here in Arizona, centered around Arizona artists,” says Matty Steinkamp, Apache Lake Music Festival’s sponsor and marketing director. “It’s all about the bands, and it’s all about the music. But more importantly, it’s all about Arizona bands and Arizona music.”

The event is expected to see upwards of 5,000 attendees, triple 2011’s attendance of 1,500.Apache Lake Music Festival

Headlining performers include Dry River Yacht Club, Banana Gun, Mergence, C-Posse, Danger Paul, Decker and Future Loves Past.

The Apache Lake Resort is already sold out of rooms, as are three of the surrounding campsites, Steinkamp says.

Apache Lake Music Festival“We definitely have a much, much bigger push this year than we ever have,” Steinkamp adds.

More than 60 local bands will play on two different stages, one outdoor and one indoor, throughout the three-day weekend. In addition, an outdoor acoustic stage featuring another 30 bands is still trying to be secured.

“There’s a big, big outdoor stage right outside between the resort and the lake, and the backdrop is essentially the sunset of Apache Canyon Lake,” Steinkamp says.

The past two festivals have predominately had an Americana theme, showcasing rock bands; but this year, the event is catering towards a larger audience. Steinkamp says the event will have more of a Coachella vibe, with extensive late-night dance parties featuring the DJ duo Beat Mass.

“This year we’ve included more of some dance groups [and] electronic groups,” Steinkamp says. “We’ve got some DJs coming out that will be doing a bit more of a light-show dance party.”

Each band will have about 45 minute to perform, with headliners having closer to an hour. Concerts will begin around 11 a.m. and run until 2 a.m.

The festival began in 2010 by Brannon Kleinlein in order to promote Arizona-based artists in a larger setting.

“Most of the other music festivals just draw on really big national acts, and local artists really never get the chance to be featured on a big stage,” Steinkamp says.

Weekend tickets cost $40 and are available at apachelakemusicfestival.com.

For more information about Apache Lake Music Festival and the performing artists, visit apachelakemusicfestival.com.

 

If You Go: Apache Lake Music Festival

October 11-13, 2012
20909 E. Apache Trail, #6,
Tortilla Flat, AZ 85119