More about the history of the South Park Music Festival

westword.com | Music | The Hills Are Alive: "A native of Indianapolis who grew up playing in hardcore bands and promoting shows, [Matt Fecher] reached for the brass ring when he decided to launch the inaugural South Park Music Festival in 2004. Several years earlier, Fecher's family had relocated to Fairplay from Indiana ... When Fecher's mom heard that the town was talking about putting together a festival, she alerted her son, then working as the co-executive director of the Midwest Music Summit and helping oversee IndianapolisMusic.net. Fecher volunteered his services that first year.

"'The town handled the back end of everything and let me book all the bands and do some promotions,' he recalls, 'so it was kind of a joint partnership with the town. Then it was kind of like, ŒHey, this could be for real.' There was a whole new staff of people, a new mayor and a new town clerk. So we put together a proposal for me to put on a festival in the town, and it seemed to work out last year and this year. There's still a major interface with the town, through the town clerk. They're still very, very supportive.'"