MISSOULA — An idea that started with Playfair Park has evolved into a major music festival at the Missoula County Fairgrounds next summer.
It's bringing some major talent to the Garden City with names such as Kacey Musgraves, Hozier, and Jason Isbell performing. The inaugural Zootown Music Festival is prepared to take over Missoula for the 4th of July weekend.
Festival promoter, Scott Osburn, joined city officials on Tuesday to lay out the vision for next summer. Osburn is a University of Montana graduate who originally pitched a music festival for Playfair Park.
Accessibility issues and community pushback caused the withdrawal of the previous plan, so Osburn's plans moved to the fairgrounds.
Osburn sees the Zootown Festival as an opportunity to showcase everything Missoula has to offer from the mountains to the local businesses with an expected crowd of 15,000 people daily at the festival.
“This area's vibrant evolution inspires us and we see the Zootown Festival as a perfect complement to Midtown’s future- a celebration of culture and creativity that draws locals and visitors alike to this dynamic part of town,” said Osburn.
The Zootown Festival's full lineup was announced Tuesday with acts like Lake Street Dive and Evan Honer performing. Pre-sale tickets are available on Thursday, Nov. 21 while general admission tickets go on sale the following day.
Visit the Zootown Music Festival's website for more information.
