This is a milestone year for organizers of the annual WAMMfest.
Certainly, it’s big news that the Sertoma Club of Greenwood, which puts on the festival, has booked the biggest headliner yet in the history of the event. When the Spin Doctors take the stage, it will be the first time a nationally known, Grammy Award-nominated band has played WAMMfest.
But for the Sertoma Club, there is much more exciting news. After this year’s festival, the club will have raised more than $1 million to go directly back to the Johnson County community.
“Being able to give back to the community is the first and foremost thing for the Sertoma Club,” said Josh O’Neal, marketing chair for the Sertoma Club of Greenwood. “To hit a milestone of that level shows us the power of, even though we’re a small group, when you put your mind to something and want to achieve something, you can.”
WAMMfest returns Aug. 19 for its best version yet. The day will be filled with wine, art, music and microbrews, as well as food from 13 vendors slinging everything from pizza to barbecue to frozen yogurt.
“It’s one of those events that, no matter who you are, you’re going to find something you love at the event. Trying to get bigger and better with the bands, giving a better experience, having it right downtown Greenwood in Craig Park, people love it,” O’Neal said. “We hope 2023 is going to be the best year yet.”
WAMMfest was created in 2009 by the Sertoma Club, a philanthropic organization focused entirely on raising money for community causes. The idea was to put together a cultural showcase in Greenwood that would appeal to a wide variety of people, therefore generating more money for good causes.
They focused on four main cultural areas —wine, art, music and microbrews.
Modeled on popular Indianapolis events such as the Broad Ripple Art Fair and the Penrod Arts Fair, the festival was an immediate success. More than 4,500 people attended the inaugural WAMMfest, and attendance has grown steadily over the past decade.
Through ticket sales, the Sertoma Club has been able to donate more than $$950,000 to local causes. In the past, the club was able to support efforts ranging from the Greenwood parks, police and fire departments to Girls Inc. of Johnson County to the White River Township Fire Department’s Christmas Angels program. The club was also a major contributor to Greenwood’s City Center Park project.
Of course, in order to generate funds to help the community, the Sertoma Club understands it needs to put on a top-notch event that people are excited about. That rationale motivated the club in recent years to find ways to set it apart, O’Neal said.
“The last couple years, there have been a lot of events that used a common theme in music in the summer,” he said. “A couple of years ago, we decided we wanted to go a little bit bigger to separate ourselves from the other festivals.”
Organizers had focused on bringing more regionally popular musical entertainment the past two years, banks such as Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Ants Marching, a Dave Matthews Band tribute.
This year, they decided to aim higher.
Using a grant from Festival County Indiana, the county’s tourism organization, the Sertoma Club was able to search for national touring acts to perform at WAMMfest. Festival Country has implemented its grant program to encourage groups to enhance special events all around Johnson County, including by bringing in more nationally-known entertainment.
“Today’s visitors are looking for a unique experience — something they can’t get in their own backyard. If you continue doing business as you have for years and decades, there’s nothing to attract the visitor,” Ken Kosky, executive director of Festival County Indiana, said in May. “By bringing a national act like the Spin Doctors in for WAMMfest, this is a new attraction, and gives visitors a reason to come here and have a unique experience.”
The Spin Doctors were a quintessential alt-rock band from the era, populating the airwaves with hits such as “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.” They’d go on to sell more than 5 million copies of their debut album, and was nominated for both a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.
“We started looking at Grammy-nominated, national-type bands. The Spin Doctors fit. They were really big in the ’90s, with some huge, huge hits. We thought we’d take a chance and see if we could get them,” O’Neal said. “It’s at a different level. It’s a step up from a cover band.”
While the Spin Doctors will serve as the centerpiece of the festival, Sertoma Club organizers have also lined up a diverse mix of regional and local acts to span the entire day.
Groups such as Jimmy Buffett tribute Parrots of the Caribbean; local country rockers Blue River Band; funk outfit Fancy Sauce and jam rock band Pushing Daisy’s Band will perform throughout the day.
Local artists will set up throughout the festival in the popular Artists Alley, while beer and wine vendors offer up the best in Indiana products. Included in this year’s event are some new offerings, including Guggmann Haus Brewing and Garfield Brewing, O’Neal said.
Another new offering is a VIP experience. Those who pay the $75 admission will receive preferred parking, seating and restrooms. People get access to a VIP tent with complimentary bottled water and snacks, and vouchers for drinks and food. Everyone also gets a swag bag to take home.
“With a bigger band, we wanted to give a bigger experience,” O’Neal said.
IF YOU GO
WAMMfest
What: An annual festival celebrating local wine, art, music and microbrews, organized by the Sertoma Club of Greenwood, with all the net proceeds distributed back to support youth, individual and community organizations.
When: Noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19
Where: Craig Park, 10 E. Smith Valley Road, Greenwood
Wineries: Mallow Run Winery, Ash and Elm Cider Co., Holtkamp Winery, and Cedar Creek Winery
Microbreweries: Taxman Brewing, Oaken Barrel Brewing, Planetary Brewing, MashCraft Brewing, Cedar Creek Brewing, Centerpoint Brewing, Four Day Ray Brewing, Guggman Haus Brewing, Garfield Brewing and Quaff On! Brewing.
Art: A variety of artists from all genres will be set up in an area known as “Artist’s Alley”
Music: 12:45 to 2:15 p.m.: Pushing Daisies Band
2:15 to 3:45 p.m.: Fancy Sauce
3:45 to 5:15 p.m.: Blue River Band
5:15 to 6:45 p.m.: Parrots of the Caribbean
7 to 8:30 p.m.: Spin Doctors
Food vendors: Ardy’s Concession, Ben’s Pretzels, Chuy’s TexMex, Cedar Creek Food Truck, Dang Quesadilla, Ella’s Frozen Yogurt, A Taste of Home Food Truck, Kona Ice Indy, Lonely Monkey Food Truck, Marco’s Pizza, Mobowl, My Super Taqueria, Pap’s Kettle Pop, Whiskey River BBQ
General admission tickets are $25. Children 12 and under are free. VIP experience tickets are $75, and include premium parking, access to a tent that includes bottled water and snacks, two drink vouchers, one $10 food voucher, swag bag, access to VIP restrooms and an exclusive viewing area by the main stage. Tickets may be purchased online. For more information visit WAMMfest.com/tickets.
