Nature has served as an artistic muse for centuries, so it’s no surprise that music and environmental activism have historical connections.

Two music festivals returning to Easthampton this summer embody the relationship between the natural and musical worlds by generating excitement about local conservation and modeling how community events can reduce their environmental impacts. The River Roads Festival and Arcadia Folk Festival are musical gatherings with an environmental edge, both of which encourage attendees to explore new ways to coexist with the planet as they enjoy live music in scenic outdoor settings.

The Arcadia Folk Festival, a collaboration between Mass Audubon and Signature Sounds, will continue to model a sustainable event for its sixth year this month. On Friday, Aug. 23, the festival will kick off with a performance at the Academy of Music in Northampton at 7 p.m., featuring the songs of Paul Simon. On Saturday, Aug. 24, a full day of music awaits at the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, with three stages of music cranking out tunes from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“There’s a couple of ways it really ties to our mission,” said Jonah Keane, director of the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary and Mass Audubon’s other Connecticut River Valley sanctuaries.

“We at Mass Audubon use this to model an environmentally friendly event … The event also benefits Mass Audubon, so the proceeds support the work we do in western Massachusetts.”

The festival started in 2018, when Mass Audubon was looking for a unique way to celebrate the park’s anniversary. When they connected with Signature Sounds and started discussing the idea for a music festival, things started to fall naturally into place.

“It seemed like a really perfect fit. They had a really great space there at the park,” said Jim Olsen, president of Signature Sounds. “The folk music world has always had sort of a political bent, and environmental issues have always been part of that.”

Since the event’s inception, its organizers knew they could turn the gathering into something special, paying homage to the folk music community and the land they aimed to celebrate. Not only do proceeds from the event support Mass Audubon, but the event is solar-powered, plant-based, low-waste, and offers opportunities for education and advocacy.

The festivals stages and vendors are all fueled by solar power generated on-site, and festival organizers have been working hard to make the event zero-waste, meaning no plastics or disposables are sold on festival grounds. Instead, vendors give out reusable and compostable containers, resulting in “very little waste going to the landfill,” said Keane. Additionally, all food and drink served at the festival is 100% plant-based.

“Food is responsible for a big amount of carbon emissions, and a lot of that is from animal products,” Keane explained.

The festival also encourages biking, as it presents an easy way to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation. A free bike valet will be provided, and Arcadia is easily accessible via the Manhan Rail Trail. Keane also hinted that prizes would be available for those who choose to bike to the event. However, because not everyone will be able to take advantage of the park’s bike accessibility, proceeds from the festival will also be put toward carbon offset efforts to make up for carbon-emitting travel.

Those who attend the Arcadia Folk Festival will be able to enjoy a day in nature while feeling good about their impact. In fact, one of the performance stages is so immersed in the natural landscape, Olsen said it “isn’t a stage at all.”

“We have one stage called ‘In the Woods,’” he said. “It’s a clearing you take a little hike to.” And that clearing has become a crowd favorite.

This year, the festival was moved to an earlier date to take advantage of August’s longer daylight hours, which Olsen said would “allow for a longer day of programming,” at this family- and environmentally friendly event.

But community members won’t be short on green musical entertainment in September. On Saturday, Sept. 7, the River Roads Festival will bring a slate of folk artists to Millside park for it’s second year, following its sold-out debut in 2023.

River Roads was co-created by singer-songwriter Dar Williams and Laudable Productions in partnership with the Connecticut River Conservancy, and helps to gather a crowd for the annual Source to Sea Cleanup, one of the nation’s biggest river cleanups, which takes place the following day. The opportunity to celebrate and give back to the rivers that flow through our land while connecting through music continues to be the most special part of the event for Williams.

“I am particularly excited about rivers. A river is a great metaphor for things that flow together from different directions,” she said. Good things happen alongside a river. I think, socially, they’re really amazing … one of the very best ways to protect rivers is to celebrate on their shores.”

On the Sunday after the festival, Williams and other artists will join community volunteers for the river cleanup. Proceeds from the event also help the Connecticut River Conservancy in their efforts to prevent pollution, work with communities on research and advocacy, and promoting good stewardship and enjoyment of the river and all of its tributaries.

“In order to protect the life of rivers, you have to protect the land and the water,” said Williams. “It’s social and environmental.”

Williams said that one of the best things about the festival and the cleanup is that they feel like “a gathering of friends,” and this year, she thinks both will be bigger and better.

“The first year, you throw something at the wall and see how it’s working, and it went remarkably well,” she said. “The second year is when things become more harmonious.”

She also noted that she’s looking forward to not having a broken foot this time around, as she spent last year performing through the pain. But regardless of her injury, she was encouraged by the festival’s initial reception, and hopes to build upon it this summer.

“There was a lot of warmth from the get-go,” she said. “This year … I think things sort of automatically get better.”

This event is also accessible via the Manhan Rail Trail, and attendees are encouraged to bike to the venue and take advantage of the festival’s bike parking. Gates will open at 11, and music will run from noon to 10 p.m.

Ticket information

Tickets for the Arcadia Folk Festival can be bought online, and are $69.99 for adult general admission and $39.99 for teens aged 11-19. Kids under 10 are admitted for free. Friday’s Academy of Music performance is ticketed separately, with tickets ranging from $38.90 to $49.86 including fees.

Tickets for the River Roads festival are $65 for adults, $32.50 for youth aged 11-17, and free for children under 10.

Those interested in either festival are encouraged to buy tickets in advance, as there are a limited number.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.