AURA Music & Arts Festival Has Come To An End June 7, 2016 11:29

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Photo by Jason Koerner
Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
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We are extremely disappointed to report that after seven amazing years, AURA Music & Arts Festival has announced it's retirement.  For the past seven years, AURA has essentially kicked off each year's festival season.  Held annually in early March, the festival grew in numbers each year, prompting a move to Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in 2013.  Recent years have brought acts such as The Disco Biscuits, moe., Thievery Corporation, Snarky Puppy, The WerksPapadosio, Perpetual GrooveDopapod, Turkuaz, and so many more to the sacred grounds of Suwannee.  I have been lucky enough to cover this festival for the past two years, and I can't say enough about my experience.  
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It all starts with the venue, and you simply can't find a more pure, natural setting for a music and arts festival than Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.  The AURA team went above and beyond to make this festival bigger and better each year.  AURA was the first major music event that I ever covered, as AURA 2015 came about 6 months after Live & Listen was formed.  The lineup fit my musical taste perfectly each year, bringing together the best of the best that the jam scene has to offer, with notable attention paid to the best up-and-comers.  
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I can't say "thank you" enough to Daryl Wolff, Destiny Beck, and the entire AURA team for allowing  Live & Listen to help promote and cover this event for the past two years.  See below for the official statement from Daryl Wolff via AURA's official facebook page.  Thank you for the memories, AURA! 
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Photo by Jason Koerner
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Official statement from Daryl Wolff:
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Since the inaugural AURA in 2010, over 18,000 tickets were sold, over 175 musical acts performed, over 50 visual artists painted live and over 150 different staff members came together to make this all possible for YOU!

After long deliberations with our team, we’ve decided that the event has far surpassed our goals and that we’re going to close this chapter of our lives. Producing a show of this scale is no easy task for an independent promoter, yet we still managed to pull off consistent growth each and every year since inception…. Pretty amazing!

I’m extremely proud of the community we’ve built, the memories we’ve made and the vast history of art, music, friendships and families that we leave in our footprints.

We’ve still got PLENTY of archives to release from the last seven years, including a complete video recap of the entire history of AURA Music & Arts Festival (coming soon!), so keep your eyes on our social networks!

On behalf of Cameron, Matt, Destiny, Craig, CJ, Bianca and our entire staff, I thank you all for your dedicated support to our vision. There is no greater feeling than bringing people together and creating smiles rooted around the common language of music, art, love and equality.

With more love than can be put into words, THANK YOU!
-Daryl Wolff, Founder, AURA Music & Arts Festival.

“You may say i’m a dreamer, but i’m not the only one…. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one” - John Lennon

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Watch the official aftermovie from AURA 2015 here:
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