The Buffalo DIY Fest returns to Buffalo River Fest Park today, making this year two for the do-it-yourself oriented music and arts festival. The festivities start at 4pm, and feature a wide array of things to look forward to, including live music, art vendors, and food trucks. buffaBLOG got to pick the brain of festival organizer Cam Rogers, who answered a few questions we had about the event and the DIY community.
buffaBLOG: So what exactly is DIY fest?
Cam Rogers: To me, the DIY Fest is a gathering of people to celebrate the DIY spirit and culture in Buffalo. It involves people that make things, whether that is art, crafts, metals, paints, music, or noise, and celebrates creation.
bB: What inspired you to organize the festival?
CR: I guess what inspired me to organize the festival was the desire to bring people together. It’s tough to bring all the factions of people in Buffalo together at one time so this event focused on making that happen.
bB: What makes the concept of DIY so important?
CR: There are many reasons I consider the DIY community and spirit so important on a larger scale, but I think one of the most important aspects is on the individual level. It sounds fairly ridiculous, but people don’t seem to have the thought that they can create something of their own. This could be food, art, jewelry, music, anything really. I hope to help in igniting something in people – help them realize their potential simply as a human being in a community that everyone contributes to. The larger organism starts with the individual and that’s what is most important, the individual.
bB: This is the second annual DIY fest. How has the festival evolved since last year?
CR: This year, we remarkably acquired some funding, so that’s certainly different. The event is free this year, and we’ll be running two stages so we can get more musicians in. This year actually saw more than three weeks for us to put the event together as well. Last year was a mad dash to get everything done; this year has gone much more smoothly.
bB: Is there anything specific you are looking forward to this year?
CR: This year I’m definitely looking forward to eating FallyMac. It’s not often that I get to grab their food. As well as that, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Allison Mitchelle play some tunes. She’s got a pretty awesome thing going. It seems like All of Them Witches has two new songs that we’ll be debuting at the event as well, so I’m looking forward to that because it’s a good sign into the direction we’re heading.
For a full list of this year’s musicians, artists, and vendors, check out the Facebook event here.