WonderBus Music Fest Returns

Kesha, Wilco, AJR, Grouplove, Black Pumas, The Band CAMINO and many more

Live and In Person August 28-29

On The Lawn At CAS – Columbus 

Buy Tickets Here

COLUMBUS, OH (April 13, 2021) – After more than a year of no large scale concerts or music festivals in Columbus, across Ohio and throughout the United States, The Elevation Group announced today the return of the WonderBus Music & Arts Festival to Columbus. The Lawn at CAS (2540 Olentangy River Road) provides the perfect site for the music festival as Ohio begins to emerge from COVID-19, offering 54 acres of open-air, outdoor space to allow festivalgoers the opportunity to comfortably spread out.

On Saturday, August 28, WonderBus will present some of music’s top hitmakers including Kesha; AJR; The Band CAMINO and more. On Sunday, August 29, Wilco will make their only Ohio appearance in 2021 and their only appearance in a five-state region including Ohio’s border states: Michigan; Indiana; West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Joining Wilco will beGrouplove; Black Pumas and other fantastic artists. See below for info on all artists. 

WonderBus is an all-ages festival featuring great music, a wide variety of culinary options, a robust artisan village and so much more. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the inaugural WonderBus was “A big success on almost all counts. The fans, clearly responded to the fest’s design and execution. The layout of the site promoted exploration, the vendors, amusements, and a few key organizations playfully spread as if tossed onto a board game surface.”

All tickets will go on sale this Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET. (See below for all ticket info.)

Building on the important work that started with the 2019 festival,WonderBus, CAS and The Shipyard, Columbus business leader Rick Milenthal’s marketing agency, will continue their strategically important relationship with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health. This unique team will continue to leverage the power of live music as a vehicle to promote and raise funds for critical mental health initiatives focused on recovery and resilience. WonderBus and CAS have guaranteed a share of revenue to help the Medical Center’s programs.

“The WonderBus Music and Arts Festival’s mission is to shine a light on mental health issues through its support of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “The results of the WonderBus Music and Arts Festival will help many in recovery.”

“As we emerge from the pandemic and carefully begin resuming in-person events, it’s critical that we don’t lose sight of the long-term damage caused by the unprecedented challenges of the last year – especially when it comes to the toll it has taken on our individual and collective mental health,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “The WonderBus music festival’s efforts to raise consciousness and critical support for mental wellness, especially among teens and young adults who have lost out on so many experiences over the past 12 months, are a perfect example of the kind of cross-collaboration taking place between Ohio State and outside stakeholders to meet the needs of both our campus community and the community at large.”

“The inaugural WonderBus, staged in 2019, was a grand slam homerun and it was devastating that we could not run in 2020,” stated Elevation president Denny Young. “We feel confident that by the end of this summer, Ohio will be largely back to normal. The safety of our fans, artists and staff remains our top priority, but with the increased mental health challenges facing each and every one of us during the past year, we believe the time is right to promote live music and the positive impact that this music festival can have on the hearts and minds of everyone in Central Ohio and throughout the Midwest.”

Also appearing live and in person during the festival are: Bob Moses (Club Set); The Knocks; St. Paul & The Broken Bones; Grandson; Ritt Momney; Absofacto; Dreamers; Smallpools and more – 28 artists in total. Ohio is well represented with Bird & Byron (Columbus); 90’s Kids (Columbus); Doc Robinson (Columbus); Pray for Sleep (Columbus); LONDIN Thompson (Cleveland); .wavrunner (Cleveland) and Jack Harris (OSU student from Cleveland).

WonderBus 2020 Spotify Playlist Click Here

TICKET INFO

Due to the evolving guidance from the State of Ohio regarding capacity, there will be a reduced number of tickets available on a first come, first served basis. As guidance becomes more clear between now and August, we hope to add more tickets. If you are interested in attending the festival, we encourage you to buy early. 

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, April 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET through both WonderBusfest.com and SeeTickets.us. Single Day tickets are available for $89.00.Weekend passes are $159.00. Wonder passes (offering weekend admission to both theWonderBus Music & Arts Festival and WonderStruck in Cleveland); VIP passes and specially-priced tickets for children ages 3-10 are also available. Infants 2 years and under are admitted free.

Onsite parking for many festival attendees is also available for advance purchase. Parking is not unlimited, so we encourage getting your parking pass early. 

If you have any questions, please contact us. 

WonderBus Safe Reopening Powered By Germ-X

WonderBus will follow the recommended health and safety guidelines put forth by state and county authorities. Additionally, the festival has aligned with St. Louis-based Germ-X to create an aggressive and innovative reopening platform based on the basic principles of responsible health and hygiene. A recent NBC News story ranked Germ-X the #1 Hand Sanitizer “meeting CDC guidance, shared by doctors.”

“We wanted the very best partner to power our safe reopening,” stated WonderBus executive producer Steve Lindecke. “Germ-X is #1. In our opinion, there is no better product and Germ-X will have a heavy presence at the festival.”

“On behalf of the entire Germ-X team, I want to communicate to fans that Germ-X is excited to support safe reopening of music festivals across the country,” said Darren Baker, President and Chief Operating Officer at Vi-Jon, LLC, the maker of Germ-X. “We will be providing complimentary samples of Germ-X to festivalgoers at entry points. We will also be providing other Germ-X products as additional support during WonderBus.” 

If COVID-19 forces a postponement or cancellation of the festival, ticket refunds will absolutely be an option for each buyer. 

“CAS is proud to welcome back WonderBus and its ultimate purpose: raising awareness and funding for mental health research highlighting our partner, The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Department,” commented Dr. Michael Dennis, vice president CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society.

“We’re grateful to the WonderBus festival for supporting our work to build resilience in our communities. Together we’re bringing the best minds to solve the mind’s toughest problems – depression, anxiety, addiction, suicide. Musicians and artists are a vital part of our team and bring hope through their inspiring work which touch so many struggling with mental health challenges,” said Dr. K. Luan Phan, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Click Here To Buy WonderBus Tickets Today

If tickets remain, prices will increase between now and the festival

“The Columbus Music Commission believes that music is an important elixir for the soul. We applaud Elevation, CAS, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Shipyard and all involved with Wonderbus for addressing the journey to mental health, and are honored to be part of this team.” stated Bruce Garfield, Executive Director of the Columbus Music Commission.

Rick Milenthal, CEO of The Shipyard said, “The team has put together a spectacular line up of artists. It will be a wonderful weekend for all of Central Ohio and this great cause.”

About Elevation Festivals

Elevation Festivals owns two of Ohio’s largest music festivals – WonderStruck in Cleveland and theWonderBus Music & Arts Festival (Columbus). In a few short years, the company’s music events have been recognized by The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio’s largest newspaper, as “the Midwest’s top music festivals.” Both festivals are appropriate for all ages, feature a wide variety of upscale culinary options, include robust artisan villages and showcase the very best Alternative, Indie-Pop, Funk and Jam bands. 

For additional festival information, please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or visit www.wonderbusfest.com.

About CAS

CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society specializing in scientific information solutions, partners with R&D organizations globally to provide actionable insights that help them plan, innovate, protect their innovations, and predict how new markets and opportunities will evolve. Scientists, patent professionals and business leaders rely on CAS solutions and services to advise discovery and strategy. With more than 110 years’ experience, no one knows more about scientific information than CAS. For more information, visit www.cas.org. 

About The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center – 

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is comprised of physicians, researchers, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counselors who provide a full range of services, including mental and behavioral health care; addiction medicine; advanced depression treatments; partial hospitalization and inpatient care; suicide and trauma reduction for veterans and neuropsychology. Led by Dr. K. Luan Phan, the department has four areas of focus: recovery and resilience; health and integration; cognition and emotion; and child and family, with primary treatment locations at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Harding Hospital and Talbot Hall. 

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable. By buying a ticket and visiting WonderBus on The Lawn at CAS you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.

CAS
2540 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, OH 43202