Farm Aid, an annual benefit concert backed by Willie Nelson, is coming to Alpine Valley Music Theatre this year.
The music and food festival will be held Sept. 21 at the Walworth County venue, located near East Troy. Headliners include Nelson, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, among others.
Holding the festival in “the heart of dairy country” will bring attention to the “severe crisis in farm country,” festival organizers said in a news release Tuesday.
“With devastating weather, low prices and harmful farm and trade policies, America’s family farmers are facing immense challenges to hold on to their farms. It’s not right … family farmers are essential for all of us,” said Nelson, president and founder of Farm Aid. “By bringing our festival to the heart of the struggle, we will stand side-by-side with farmers. At Farm Aid 2019, we’ll highlight solutions and show our support for family farmers’ contributions to our health, economy and environment.”
The annual festival has raised a total of $57 million to support farmers since 1985.
Additional acts scheduled to perform at this year’s festival include: Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Margo Price, Jamey Johnson, Tanya Tucker, Brothers Osborne, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Yola and Particle Kid. More artists will be announced later this summer. Tickets go on sale to the public on July 12.
Coming off of several slow years at the Live Nation Worldwide Inc.-operated amphitheater, Alpine Valley has booked a more robust show lineup in 2019.
Dave Matthews Band, a longtime staple at the venue, played back-to-back shows on July 5 and 6, following a two-year hiatus. Other artists booked this year include the Who, Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band, Phish and Hootie & the Blowfish.
