Organizers of a music festival in Lexington this weekend are raising money for flood relief for those in Madison County.
The fifth annual Flood With Love Music Festival is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at The Burl, beginning at 12:30 p.m. A portion of the proceeds are going to the Kentucky Storm Relief Fund, organized by Kentucky 811 and Powering the Economy through Arts in Kentucky, also known as PEAK.
According to The Burl, half of the proceeds will go to relief efforts to cover things like food, shelter, emergency supplies and support for volunteers and first responders.
Flood With Love was originally organized in response to the 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods. This year, the festival is putting its focus on Madison County.
Three people in the county died as a result of deadly flash floods in late June near East Kentucky University’s campus and Tates Creek.
“We just did it as originally as a one-off event (in 2022) to help them out, and we ended up raising about $5,000,” festival organizer Robby Chadwell said. “And then the next year, the city of Versailles and some local sponsors got involved and asked if we'd do it again. So it kind of just started from there, and here we are on year five.”
The festival lineup features 16 artists from a variety of genres, including bluegrass, rock and hip hop music. There will also be food trucks and art vendors.
“This festival is all about bringing community together and letting the folks know that you know when hard times hit, there's a community behind you that can support you and help you out, get you through this,” Chadwell said.
Tickets are $30 and are available online. Doors open at noon and the first act begins its set at 12:30 p.m.
