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Chipotle Cultivate fest marks first time in KC with free activities
Rocking a Tears for Fears shirt, Mike Kamerman of Smallpools plays during a set at the Chipotle Cultivate Festival.
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
VICKY DÍAZ-CAMACHO
@vickyd_c
Sounds of explosive music and wafts of made-to-order eats filled the Penn Valley Park grounds in Kansas City, Mo., this Saturday for the Chipotle Cultivate Festival.
Between musical sets, festival-goers wandered the grounds, scooped up free Annie's snacks, Treetop juice boxes or bought $6 chorizo tostadas and beer before bands such as Small-pools, Max Frost and Portugal the
"I cannot believe they have all of these amazing bands for free," said Alex English, a senior at the University of Kansas from Piper studying organismal biology. "I saw Smallpools in Lawrence at the Granada, but this is crazy, really cool. It's huge; I didn't realize it was going to be like this."
Man performed.
The music lineup included, in order of appearance, DJ Christopher Golub, Max Frost, Betty Who, Smallpools, St. Lucia and Portugal,
The Man. Even though the festival spanned across the park, crowds of all ages convened around the stage area or in tents equipped with fans, waiting for the next free act. Children danced with their parents while older couples swayed to the music. The rest — mostly 20-somethings — were up-close and center, right next to the stage.
Most of the food and alcoholic drinks were under $10, and kidfriendly snacks were handed out for free. Activities were peppered
throughout the festival, such as the high striker also known as the "strongman game" as well as a photobooth and a tent to paint a T-shirt. Audiences could watch a short film about California tofu producers in a "cinema" tent.
Despite the 90-degree weather, lines of people stretched across the park, fanning their faces and waiting for the chance to complete four of five Chipotle exhibits for a free burrito and pizza. The exhibits colorfully and interactively taught festival-goers about the farming industry and the difference between Genetically Modified Organism foods and natural organic. They also tested people's knowledge about GMOs in an active setting.
In one exhibit, individuals read things like "I'm most concerned about inconclusive data on GMO safety;" for example, and then dropped an orange ball to answer on one side. Those on the other side
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