With deep roots in Tucson, Dusk Music Festival is coming back to Armory Park for its fourth-consecutive year on Nov. 9-10, bringing old favorites as well as adding new art installations, food vendors and stages.
“I think Dusk is successful in Tucson because of how much heart and soul that we put into it,” Festival Director Page Repp said. “Everybody that founded Dusk and is part of Dusk, they are all Tucsonans. Three of us graduated from the University of Arizona, so we have real deep roots here.”
According to Repp, Dusk is going to feature new art installations and new food vendors such as the Gastronomic Union of Tucson, Empire Pizza and more.
“Some of our food vendors are pulling out all of the stops and doing some really cool activities,” Repp said. “Culinary Dropout and Zinburger are teaming up to make this really cool food and games area, and then in our VIP section, Rollies Mexican Patio is doing a really cool VIP food experience in there as well.”
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Aside from new art and vendors, Dusk will be adding a third stage exclusively for locals. Tori Cachia, another festival director, said they are working on building the stage as well as building the acts.
“We have only had our main stage and our second stage, so we are adding a third stage for locals to perform,” Cachia said.
Not only will local acts perform on the third stage, but art will be featured on it too. Repp said there will be “really cool” art pieces associated with the stage.
“It’s kind of in an area that you’re going to have to discover — it’s maybe not as obvious as the other stages are,” Repp said. “It will give you something to do throughout the day, discover little spots here and there.”
This year Dusk will be incorporating more of the Tucson community into the festival. Zohar Amar, who is in charge of all marketing, events and interns for Dusk, said they want the audience to feel like they’re a part of the festival.
“Last year we had this idea to kind of incorporate our target market and our audience a little more into the festival,” Amar said.
In order to include their audience in the festivities, Dusk has a DJ competition and has added a battle of the bands, letting the winners of each perform on the main stage.
“It’s kind of a way for all of these artists to show us their talent,” Amar said. “You never know what can come from it.”
Being the festival’s second time in Downtown Tucson, Repp said the festival fits the location and is easy for students and Tucson residents to get there.
“We love the location. We think the festival really belongs downtown in the heart of all the activity that’s going on down there,” Repp said. “I think it’s just an area that people expect there to be large events so they know how to get around and park in the downtown area.”
Repp said the festival is not only for Tucson residents, but it is great for UA students, stating that anybody can have a good time at Dusk.
“I think it’s especially great for students because the three of us were all students at the UA at one point, so we kind of remember what it was like to be students there,” Repp said. “The other part of it is just the proximity to the UA campus. You know when we were at Rillito Park or now that we’re downtown, either direction we were only a couple miles from campus. So it’s really easy for students to get there and have a good time.”
Similar to last year, Repp said the lineup has a good mix and has something for everyone to enjoy.
“I’m most looking forward to Two Door Cinema Club,” Repp said. “That’s what I’m most excited about, but Kaskade and Rezz are going to be great as well. So, I’m excited about a lot of the lineup.”
Overall, Repp is looking forward to seeing the community come together and see how excited people get as they discover new things about the festival.
“I hear this as people walk by and they say, ‘I can’t believe this is in Tucson,’” Repp said. “Just to see the sense of amazement and see the wonder as people see what we have done with this downtown park and transform it in a couple days into something that looks completely different.”
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