top of page
Desert Stars Festival review.jpeg
Desert Stars Festival press.jpeg

New to Desert Stars? Here's ten moments that define our fest !

https://ocweekly.com/10-music-moments-that-defined-the-desert-stars-festival

 

THE DESERT STARS FESTIVAL STORY

(2007 TO PRESENT)

Words from Festival founder - Tommy Dietrick:

Desert Stars is a boutique and intimate festival experience. When we began this journey almost 14 years ago, we were looking to put on an event that felt more like a family affair than a huge overblown gathering. As lovers of music with an affinity for the serenity and beauty of the hi desert we began down this path at an almost unknown roadhouse at the time (Pappy and Harriet's). When Nic Harcourt of KCRW mentioned our event on air in 2007, I remember him saying in his iconic voice "Pappy and Harriet's? Where is that?..." After 10 magical years in they heyday of our former venue, we decided to create our own desert oasis with the move to our new outdoor theater in 2019. This plan had been set in motion in 2016 but was postponed as we transitioned from Fall to Spring.

 

As a local resident of Joshua Tree as well as an owner of two small businesses in the region, I remain committed to the responsible enjoyment of this beautiful oasis. My personal story with the high desert began in 1999 during my very first visit here. I instantly fell in love with the region's beauty. What began as a pilgrimage several times per year eventually evolved into starting one of the nation's first "micro" festivals in 2007. 

THE MICRO FESTIVAL BIRTH

Desert Stars is one of the high desert's longest running annual music events. We believe in connecting with nature and curating events that bring people together through music and art. As one of the first micro festivals in the Indie, psychedelic and shoegaze genre, our efforts helped pave the way for a culture of indie music festivals. Our history is one of independence with an emphasis on serving the community. in addition to showcasing both national and local talent, we feature a 100% local hi-desert vendor marketplace. We continue to believe in community scale events over the urban scale norm that is prevalent today.

DEFENDING OUR DESERTS

 

While the increasing popularity of the Joshua Tree region has experienced various attempts by large production companies funded with corporate dollars to exploit this region, we remain committed to a sustainable and responsible enjoyment of this beautiful oasis by limiting growth and capping attendance. In 2015 we added our "spotlight cause" campaign to shine light on matters that we believe benefit the world around us. If you wish to join the fight to keep the desert protected from overdevelopment and exploitation please visit the Mojave Desert Land Trust here: https://www.mdlt.org/. 

 

Our festival is made possible by the direct support of our friends, fans and volunteers! To get involved or become a volunteer, please message us from the contact page.

 

PLEASE VISIT OUR FAQ PAGE HERE.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/desert-stars-festival-the-best-indie-rock-fest

© 2006-2020 Desert Stars Festival ® All rights reserved.

bottom of page