Shipyard Music and Cultural Festival launch party set for April 18

This year’s Shipyard Music and Cultural Festival will be Sept. 27 to 28, but not before a launch party from 6 to 9 p.m. April 18 at the future location of Mary Jane bourbon + smokehouse in Cape Girardeau.

Jeff Rawson, creative director for rustmedia, which is presenting the festival, said the launch party at 1107 Broadway will serve as a loyalty party for fans from last year. It also the first day tickets will be available.

“We want folks that were there last year to come out, because they know it was a good time,” he said of the party. “It’s a celebration that Shipyard is back for the fall.”

Discounted “early bird” tickets will be available that day, Rawson said, for dedicated attendees.

The launch party also will include official Shipyard merchandise, a cash bar, and food and drinks provided by Mary Jane bourbon + smokehouse.

The first 50 guests at the party will receive a complimentary “Shipyard-themed” cocktail, he said. Mary Jane also will have giveaways including gift cards, Rawson added.

“We’ll have some music playing, some corn hole games and we’ll have giveaways throughout the night,” he said.

Rawson said he expects a couple hundred people at the festival’s launch party, adding more information about festival will be available soon.

Festival details

Rawson said the only pieces 100% finalized for the two-day Shipyard Musical and Cultural Festival are the dates and location, once again at Ivers Square in downtown Cape Girardeau.

“We were really thrilled with the staging and the way we were able to set up that space, so we’re going to be adding some more things to it this year,” he said.

And as more sponsors have been added, Rawson said, that means more interactive experiences will be happening on site, “which was a big hit” last year.

There won’t just be giveaways this time around; attendees will be able to “actively participate,” he said.

But, “nothing is finalized there yet,” Rawson said.

He’s also looking for a way for festivalgoers to give back to the community through attending the event.

The artist lineup is wrapping up now, Rawson said, adding he hopes to have nearly a dozen artists finalized “within the next couple weeks.”

“Long term, we hope to grow this into a full two-day event,” he said of the extended schedule this year, “so that we’re putting more bands on stage, both national and regional acts, and building it out as a ‘destination event.’”

Rawson added, “We’re still figuring out who we are and what the festival sound is. We want it to be an eclectic variety of sounds. You’ll hear some country, some rock, some soul; we’re hoping to get a good blend this year as well.”

The inaugural one-day event taught Rawson and his crew “what it takes to put on” the event, he said.

“This year, we are adding the Friday evening, which is kind of an extension of Saturday,” he said. “We’ll have two or three bands on the stage, but same general experience on site. It gives us that opportunity to keep growing.”

According to Rawson, tickets will be the same price as they were for the first festival. Last year, general admission tickets were $30 and VIP tickets were $100.

More information can be found online at www.shipyardfest.com.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632