FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival is back for its 5th year at the Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, bringing headliners Foo Fighters, Keith Urban, and The Killers to Middle Tennessee.
The festival was started with the goal to bring a festival that reflected the community and was fun for people of all ages.
“I grew up in New Orleans with Jazz Fest," Kevin Griffin, co-founder and front man in Better Than Ezra, said. "I wanted to bring something that celebrated all the music, arts, culture, and food.”
5 years in, Pilgrimage works to bring a diverse set of musicians to the festival every year.
“The Country, the Rock, the Pop, the Southern Gospel," Griffin said, adding that they're all reflective of Tennessee culture when it comes to music.
The festival also features food, arts, merchants, and other cultural experiences.
And while the festival has had success from the beginning, in 2018, the festival had a tough time when severe weather came through and organizers were forced to cancel the festival a little more than halfway through the first day.
Many festival-goers were unhappy with how the situation was handled, while others understood that weather can't be controlled.
Regardless, Griffin said while the situation was unfortunate, they're stronger for it.
“Everyone told us in the wake of last year, they were like, 'guys, trust us. This will make you stronger for going through it. You’ll learn stuff,' and that was exactly the case," Griffin said, adding that this year, they're moving forward and improving the festival with what they know now. “This is Middle Tennessee, there’s gonna be bad weather, there’s gonna be rain outs, there’s gonna be dry weather but great temperatures, so it’s a long game plan for us.”
Griffin said the plan is to have Pilgrimage be a staple in the festival scene.
“I want my kids to be running this festival, I want the kids of people who are coming to be coming to this," Griffin said.
For organizers, it's all about getting back on track this year, especially with the weather forecast showing no signs of severe weather.
“With the weather not being something that we’re worried about, you know, we’ve got great temperatures, now it’s just about making that spectator experience even more fun and care free," Griffin explained.
Limited tickets are still available for Pilgrimage. For more information and to see the full lineup, you can head to their website.
