Charlottesville, VA July 30, 2014 – Lockn’ LLC, the festival management company that produces Lockn’ Festival in Central Virginia, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase a 385-acre farm adjacent to the current festival site, Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA. Lockn’ will utilize a portion of the property for camping during its annual music festival and intends for the property remain a farm.
The acquisition will enable Lockn’ to provide a better concert experience for patrons in several ways. Use of the fields and woods for camping means that all campsites will now surround the concert site, making the farthest campsite a mile and a half closer to the venue entrance than the 2013 site plan allowed.
Including newly acquired fields with entrances on Diggs Mountain Road is a game-changer for the Traffic Plan as the new road frontage will allow better site access and alleviate potential traffic congestion. The purchase also resolves several 2013 logistical challenges for site operations and minimizes many potential safety concerns — for instance, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized vehicles will no longer be co-mingled on Oak Ridge Road.
“We intend to be responsible stewards of the land,” said Peter Shapiro, Managing Partner of Lockn’ LLC. “We have hired an environmental land management architect to author a long-term master plan that contemplates the property remaining a farm, using some of the fields for festival camping and traffic, and preserving the ecological integrity, natural habitats, and ecosystems of one of Nelson County’s most beautiful farms whose history actually predates the existence of the United States.”
Lockn’ Festival is a four-day annual music event held at Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA. In 2013, the festival’s inaugural year, over 25,000 patrons attended from all 50 States and overseas. Lockn’ features internationally recognized rock bands who perform full sets, one at a time, between two side-by-side identical stages, several bands perform multiple nights. Though Oak Ridge is in a secluded area of the state, it’s within a few hours of several major cities and is quickly establishing itself as Washington, DC, and Central Virginia’s preferred concert site.
Lockn’ will feature Central Virginia’s best craft food and beer providers; several of which call Nelson County’s burgeoning “151 Alley” home. Ben Thompson of Rock Barn is curating Lockn’ 2014’s food oasis this year, and the festival will feature several Chef Showcases. Like last year, “Participation Row” will feature non-profits, such as the Nelson County Food Pantry, and many regional craft vendors and artisans will also be present.
Lockn’ 2014 is taking place September 4 – 7, and features Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Furthur (their only 2014 Festival appearance), The Allman Brothers Band (their final Festival performance), Wilco (their only 2014 festival performance), Widespread Panic with Steve Winwood sitting in, Willie Nelson, The String Cheese Incident and many others. More detail & tickets can be found at: www.locknfestival.com
