Brister Street Productions will be holding its 4th Annual "Bristerfest," a commutative celebration of music, film, art, food and more.
This year's festival will take place from May 9 to 11 at the Cooper Walker Place, which is located at 1015 Cooper St., in the Cooper-Young District.
The event, which was initially named after Brister Street, located a block away from the U of M, by founder Jack Simon, who originally lived on the street and threw house parties and shows under the name Brister Street Productions.
"Brister Street Productions is derived from the actual street that's a block from the University of Memphis, which is where it all began, that I used to live on," Simon, a 2012 U of M graduate with a degree in communications and political science, said. "Eventually everything outgrew the backyard, and we took it to the next step."
The concerts continued to grow when Simon and several others decided to take Brister Street to the Levitt Shell in 2011, where the first "Bristerfest" was officially held.
The organization has attracted over 1,200 people in the past and the founders expect to see that number double this year. The festival costs $15 per day and $35 for a three-day pass and is set to start around 5 p.m. on Friday, May 9, and start at 1 p.m. from Saturday to Sunday. All three days are expected to end around 2 a.m.
"The company was never about money. It was always for fun. So we all got together and said if we we're going to do it we might as well use the money to help other people," Simon said.
In 2011, the organization chose WEVL 89.8 F.M., a local non-profit radio station, to partner with and donate proceeds to. For the past three years the event has benefited GrowMemphis, a local non-profit that helps build urban-community gardens and supports local food sustainability.
"One of our sound guys worked in the garden on campus and I had to keep going to meet him in the garden to talk to him about the event. Eventually I started volunteering and working at the garden," Simon said. "That kind of created the urban gardening environment initiative we have, which is a very productive thing for the community."
The festival has donated over $4,000 to help make Memphis a more sustainable city over the past three years.
The event will feature three stages that will include a variety of acts, including a film festival hosted by Black Lodge Video. Food trucks and vendors will also be present at the festival.
"I think it has the potential to be really good, and having a versatile mix of genres could give people a chance to hear bands that they may not have had the chance to have seen otherwise," Peter Armstrong, a senior exercise sports science major, said.
The festival will feature bands from an array of genres ranging from reggae to hip-hop and funk to R&B. The 40-band lineup consists of some of Memphis' most recognizable acts, including Dead Soldiers, Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Mighty Souls Brass Band, Agori Tribe, SpaceFace and many more.
Armstrong, who is the keyboardist for SpaceFace, said that he is excited and optimistic about playing the festival, which will the band's first time performing the annual event.
"Although I've never player or have been to Bristerfest before, it seems like this year will be the biggest one yet," Armstrong said. "I'm stoked to be a part of it."
The event is also backed by an assortment of reputable sponsors from around the city. Some of the more notable sponsors include Yarbrough's Music, Guitar Center, Ardent Studios and Huey's.
"I've heard people are calling it the real Memphis in May because it features a great and ranging selection of Memphis musicians, which is very cool in my opinion. That's why we had to do it," Jake Ingalls, guitarist and singer for SpaceFace said. "I think people will have fun grooving out."
Students who want to buy tickets can purchase them at bristerfest.com.
