Meet the Mountains, an outdoors recreation festival held in downtown Johnson City since 2018, is preparing to return next month after the coronavirus pandemic forced its cancellation last year.
“We’re very excited to represent our region as one of the first major festivals in downtown Johnson City,” said Festival Director Samm Keys. “It was a huge relief when we finally got word that events were happening downtown in 2021 and that Meet the Mountains was approved for a full-size, in-person festival.”
The festival divides activities into three zones: air, earth and water.
Keys said there are changes to this year’s festival from the 2019 event, though most of them unsurprisingly have to do with COVID-19 safety precautions. Keys said attendees should bring masks, as they will be required to stand in lines or participate in the larger attractions, though masks and sanitizer will be provided on-site as well.
“There are some changes,” Keys said, “like people say, we can’t go back to our old normal, and we’re still not clear of the threat of illness due to the COVID pandemic unfortunately.”
The biggest change not related to the pandemic? An expanding footprint that will bring the festival’s music acts to King Commons, and an online auction.
“Outside of COVID, we have a huge night of music planned for Friday night (Uprooted featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root) so we have moved the evening entertainment to King Commons, thus widening our festival footprint and allowing people more room to spread out,” Keys said. “We also will be hosting an online auction up until 2 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 21) and that’s new as well.
“Many community businesses and vendors donated to provide attendees with some quality items to bid on like full-day packages from USA Raft, truck canopies, lunch at local restaurants, etc.,” Keys continued. “We also have some great new vendors that we’re really proud of.”
Keys said this year’s festival was a little difficult to plan because of the pandemic, which limited the timeline, but “other than that, we’re still the same festival people have grown to love and love to be a part of.”
“I’m most looking forward to interacting with people again,” Keys said. “I’m so happy to be able to host committee meetings in person and talk to our volunteers face-to-face, I can’t wait to see all of our attendees, vendors, volunteers, all get outside, off screens, and get moving!”
This year’s Meet the Mountains festival will be held on Friday, Aug. 20, from 6-10 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those interested in volunteering at the festival can learn more at www.mtmfest.com/volunteer.
“Thank you so much to those who have sponsored Meet the Mountains Festival 2021 and especially those who volunteer and put their time and energy into it,” Keys said. “Our festival is what it is because of the amazing crew and the volunteers who back them.”
