Last year, a movement began in the state of Nebraska: GRRRL CAMP, a music festival and celebration of women and non-binary artists in music, art, and business. They are now preparing for a second inspiring year of music and more. Taking place July 19th and 20th at Falconwood Park in Bellevue, Nebraska (just South of Omaha), GRRRL CAMP promises to be an enlightening and exciting couple of days.

The vision of GRRRL CAMP is inspired by the Riot GRRRL movement of the 1990’s and the ongoing evolution of feminism. The festival strives to push these movements forward, continuing to evolve and provide an example of how we all can co-exist and celebrate one another. Though it serves as an opportunity and platform for marginalized individuals in industries heavily dominated by men, ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.

This year, with the addition of a second day and a partnership with 1% Productions, GRRRL CAMP features nationally-renowned artists alongside a carefully curated lineup of diverse regional Midwest and local acts. In addition to the music, GRRRL CAMP offers spoken word from local slam poets, workshops that include nature walks, yoga, and more!

GRRRL CAMP is all-ages and people of all genders are encouraged to attend. Attendees are also encouraged to stay and camp for the full GRRRL CAMP experience. Two-day, single-day and camping tickets, and more information are available HERE!

To find out more about the festival, I sent some questions over to the Founder and Organizer of GRRRL CAMP, Shannon Claire, who also serves as the Falconwood Park Executive Director and Talent Buyer. Keep reading below to find out how GRRRL CAMP came about and how they made such a huge step up this year!

GRRRL CAMP is a celebration of women in music, art and business inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement and the ongoing evolution of feminism. Where did the original idea for the music festival come from? Were there any hesitations or challenges in presenting an entirely women and nonbinary powered lineup?

Shannon: I've always wanted to produce a femme fest, and more seriously-so since ~2015. My background is in music journalism along with event production. I used to produce a radio show for a number of years called X-Rated: Women in Music, which was a program that featured women in music from every genre and every decade. I had conducted interviews with national artists like Chelsea Wolfe, Wanda Jackson, and Black Belt Eagle Scout, and featured local and emerging regional Midwest artists, too. I always thought it'd be so great to have a festival that showcased a wide variety of acts, where locals who are just getting going when it comes to touring and putting out full-lengths can share the same stage with national touring acts. It's important to uplift the local scene as much as possible, and there's SO much great music in the Midwest!

There was zero hesitation across the board when it came to putting the festival together. I had recently joined the team at Falconwood Park late last April, and when the owner and I were chatting about what events we could "throw" together for that summer's season he had mentioned he always wanted to host a femme fest. And I, of course, became ecstatic and shared with him my ideas and it all just synced up. Last year's fest was very DIY, we had no built in budget; it was just: what could we do with what we have? I used contacts and relationships I had built over the years working with other festivals to quickly curate a lineup of local and regional artists. It was literally thrown together in less than 3 months. The only "challenge" was letting folks know that ALL are welcome, which meant men, too. It’s not an event for just grrrls to attend, but it is an event to provide an opportunity and platform for marginalized individuals in industries heavily dominated by men. 

For the second edition, you've expanded to a second day and are bringing in an impressive slate of nationally touring artists. Is continued growth in this way something you envision for GRRRL CAMP? Is the intimacy an important asset?

Shannon: Yes and Yes! This year's fest is what I have always envisioned for GC, in terms of welcoming larger-scaled acts and headliners. Last year was a beautiful experience, and so intimate, and I definitely want to hold onto that and have that present as much as possible, for as long as possible. We have a great relationship with 1% Productions, as they produce the Outlandia music festival at Falconwood Park and own and operate several venues in Omaha. It was a no-brainer to ask them if they'd be interested in supporting GRRRL CAMP so we could be capable of securing national headliners. We still maintain creative control, which is important, and it's afforded us to produce the fest at the scale we know is needed to ensure continuous growth.

The lineup is diverse in gender, background, and sound. What are the guiding principles when reaching out to and selecting artists to play GRRRL CAMP?

Shannon: First, I'd say ensuring that we are aligning with what feminism currently looks like, but also honoring where it's come from and where it's going next is important. Feminism will continue to evolve like we've already seen, especially over the past 4 decades. At its foundation it is based on not excluding anyone regardless of gender, race, class and ability. It's important for attendees to see themselves represented on stage, as so often many festivals don't take the time to ensure a variety of representation is secured in their lineup. It's not an easy task, especially when you have holds on bands and then one falls through for no reason or you lose them to another festival. It's easy to give up and just book with what's available, but there is SO much great music being created by so many different people, it just takes a little extra time and work.

The curation of GRRRL CAMP kind of comes from how I used to curate my radio program, making sure there's something for everyone. I anticipate for each year to look a little different, too. For example, this year is fairly indie rock heavy, and that's how the lineup kind of just naturally came together. It actually lends itself nicely for year two, as the Omaha area has a strong indie rock following, and hopefully that will aid in our ability to reach a larger crowd. I'm looking forward to bringing in more hip hop, soul and funk acts, as well as electronic and dance on a national level next year and in the future. Our local and regional acts already cover a wider field of genres. Then there's of course seeing who is releasing new music, who's trending and emerging, and being booked on other widely-known festivals. A larger goal with GC is to provide a destination festival for people in and near Omaha, Nebraska. We want to make Omaha a viable destination for people of nearby cities like Des Moines, Sioux Falls, Kansas City, etc. to travel to for an event like this, instead of needing to go somewhere like Chicago or Austin.

What were the key takeaways and insights gained by the team from the inaugural event last year? Are there any changes or new additions the audience can expect the second time around?

Shannon: The takeaways from last year were definitely not to put a festival together in less than three months again :). But we already knew that going in. Really though, the biggest takeaway was the kind of indescribable vibe of last year's event. While the fest was what some might consider small attendance-wise, it was more than mighty when it came to the feels. Every single person at GC last year was smiling from ear to ear all day. From performers and vendors to staff and attendees, everyone was sharing how great it was and how nothing else like it exists. We knew it was something very special, and that it was also the beginning of something bigger than us. I'm grateful we had such an intimate experience last year, I'm hoping it will be, "I was at GRRRL CAMP the first year" kind of story moment for folks down the road - I know it is for me already.

For this year, we're tightening up logistics more. Last year was let's throw it all out there and see what sticks. We had over 135 artists/businesses apply to vendor, and we confirmed 80. We will most likely stick around that same amount, or maybe even confirm a bit less. We will have more art installations and interactive art activities, as well as adding the second day which will allow us to spread things out a bit better. Last year, we had two rotating stages, and this year we will have just one - the main stage. New to this year, too, we will have GRRRL CAMP "After Hours", where there will be performances in Falconwood's indoor venue that will have more club-like vibes. Omaha's Queer Nite will be performing; they’re a group of fantastic drag performers (rumor has it one will be performing a Taylor Swift piece) and we're bringing back Pure XTC from KC, who performed on the main stage last year.

Are there other festivals that inspired the creation of or continue to inspire GRRRL CAMP? Do you have any personal favorite festivals?

Shannon: Yes and no? Yes, when it comes to festivals from the past that have been inspiring. I myself grew up in Los Angeles and attended Coachella pretty much every year from 2001-2007, and spent a number of years living in San Francisco, attending several annual festivals and street fairs. There, regardless if it was Jazz fest, Pride, Love Fest, or a district block party, it was always a melting pot when it came to performers and attendees. The early days of Coachella were also a very special time, anyone who attended the first 10 years knows this. Coachella featured numerous emerging artists alongside national headliners that weren't in mainstream media. As far as festivals currently? Not really. And that's why GRRRL CAMP is in a unique and exciting position. There really hasn't been anything like it since Lilith Fair, which even then isn't quite the same. Lilith definitely has its own legacy, a respectable part of the 90's feminist movement at its time. But it wasn't as diverse as it should've been, which is where GRRRL CAMP comes in.

Anything else you'd like people to know about this year's GRRRL CAMP?

Shannon: It falls on a full moon!! Which is super cool. It wasn't intentional, but an exciting and special element for sure!

I'm hopeful that GRRRL CAMP will continue to evolve and take on its own special identity as time goes by and set an example of how we all can co-exist and celebrate one another.

GRRRL CAMP is July 19th and 20th at Falconwood Park in Bellevue, NE. Two-day, single-day, and camping passes are available here!

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