Love Your Mother moves to Lolo Hot Springs

It’s back, and it’s greener than ever. The second annual Love Your Mother Earth Festival is gearing up for an end-of-May jamboree at Lolo Hot Springs.

The two-day festival, scheduled for May 30-31, will offer art, workshops, outdoor sports, organic food, kid-friendly activities and over 20 area bands including Corn Mash, Reverend Slanky, Miller Creek and Luau Cinder. The main stage will be accompanied by a saloon stage, poolside DJs and a geodesic dome.

Organizer Ben Nachman said he hopes to play on the success of last year’s festival, but also that he has learned some lessons.

“We did really well for our first time out, but our company lost a lot of money,” he said, citing that 250 people paid for tickets while 300 were given free admission. “This year, we have a ton of great sponsors to help on the financial end.”

Nachman touched on the issue of increased sustainability, saying that the festival has purchased “green tags” to support wind and solar energy to offset their electricity use. Plans are also falling into place for the lighting and sound on the main stage to be powered by either biodiesel or a biomass converter that runs on wood chips.

“Either way, all of our electricity will be off the grid,” said co-organizer Synba, who declined to give his full name.

Organizers also plan to offer eco-friendly vendors, food, beer and biodegradable cups made out of corn-based plastic. A fire-spinning troupe from Sandpoint, Idaho, is going green too, as they plan to light their torches with longer-burning biodiesel instead of gas.

Lolo Hot Springs owner Brent Olson was surprised to hear from the festival when they were looking for a venue, but said he was excited to hear about their sustainability message.

“They were interested in the hot springs, and then they realized that I’m pretty hip on this eco stuff,” he said.

Olson has been looking to implement geothermal energy and other alternatives in the resort’s buildings.

Local restaurants Tipu’s Tiger and the Mother Trucker Café will team up with the Lolo Restaurant to keep the masses fed, and New Belgium and Sierra Nevada breweries will cater the festival’s beer garden.

Those looking for a variety of outdoor activities won’t be disappointed either. The Garden City Flyers Club will host disc golf, Missoula Free Cycles will rent out bikes for trail riding and a deal is in the works to set up horseback riding. The 100-acre Lolo Hot Springs area is surrounded by hundreds of acres of national forest land where festival goers can hike, bike and ride.

Nachman said a variety of workshops are scheduled, from organic gardening to break dancing to didgeridoo making. A host of kid-friendly activities will be available and childcare will be offered. An art show and Sunday farmer’s market are also in the works.

Beyond food and entertainment, the organizers have also covered sleeping arrangements. Free camping, hotel rooms, RV spaces and rental tepees will be available.

“We’ve got space for as many people that want to come,” Nachman said. “We’re expecting anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 people.”

After months of work, Nachman and his team are starting to see their vision come together.

“Our whole objective is to lighten our eco-footprint and keep the event in the community,” Nachman said.

Olson also sees the event as a chance to open his business up to different age groups and interests, as well as boost business for the hot springs.

“If you start something like this, it’s going to be a chain reaction. It’ll definitely put our area back on the map.”

Tickets for the Love Your Mother Earth Festival are available at all GrizTix outlets and at Authentic Creations. After May 1, ticket prices will go from $35 to $40 until all pre-sale tickets sell out. Tickets at the gate will be $45.