Sugar Creek Music Festival will have a chance to sit and talk to their favorite artist Sept. 19 and 20 at the Cedar Lake Campgrounds in Vienna.

Festival promoters Evin Betts and Peter Floyd officially announced the festival earlier this month via press release. Gates to the festival open at noon on Sept. 19. Tickets are $25, which includes camping and two full days of music. Vendors can buy spots for $60.

Floyd said they came up with the idea over the summer after being inspired by larger music festivals like Summercamp Music Festival in Chillicothe and Electric Forest in Rothbury, Mich.

Betts contacted Floyd, a member of local band Soul Census, about a one-day festival idea he was working on, asking if the band would be interested in performing.

The two then began working together, finally coming to the idea of a two-day camping festival.

Floyd said it has been a while since southern Illinois had a festival, giving the example of Cave Fest, held in 2011 near Murphysboro.

“The goal is to restore the southern Illinois music scene,” he said. “It’s been a while since southern Illinois has had some good (camping) fests. We want to keep it local.”

The festival will host 14 bands and 14 DJ’s on three stages during the weekend. One of the stages will be acoustic-only and is located in the artist lounge. The lounge gives festivalgoers the opportunity to sit and talk with their favorite artist.

Inside the artist lounge sits an old school desk, which has been there for years. Floyd said he hopes people will use the desk as a place to reflect and find peace.

“I want people to sit in that chair and think about their life, whatever they have failed on, and I want them to strive to learn something new, and correct their mistakes” he said. “Not just stand still, but keep moving.”

Floyd said the final preparations are coming together this week, and the stages will be ready by Thursday.

The campground has more than 200 camping spots, 150 of which have water and electricity included. These spots are on a first come first serve basis, he said.

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: 

Unga Bunga – Paducah, Ky.

M&H Liquors – Harrisburg, Ill.

The Makanda Trading Company

– Makanda, Ill.

Hempies – Cape Girardeau, Mo

Longbranch Coffeehouse –

Carbondale, Ill.

For more information leading up to the festival, visit https://www.facebook.com/ sugarcreekmusicfestival or https://twitter.com/Sugarcreekmusic.

Kyle Sutton can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @kylesutton_DE or at 536-3311