Gem & Jam Festival is ready to kick off its 15th annual edition, taking place from Friday, February 3 - Sunday, February 5, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona at the Pima County Fairgrounds.
The festival recently announced new artist additions including a special Lightcode set from LSDREAM, Grateful Dead/Talking Heads hybrid tribute band Talking Dead, Michael Travis and Aaron Johnson’s nascent duo Snakes & Stars, Denver trip-hop live-electronic pair Since JulEYE, and a multitude of talented local acts.
The new artist additions join headliners The String Cheese Incident, LSDREAM, The Floozies, and Emancipator, with support from The Motet, Dirtwire, Ott, SoDown, The Funk Hunters, Mark Farina, and Marvel Years. Acts making their Gem & Jam festival debuts include Justin Martin, Ayla Nereo, Haywyre, Aqueous, EAZYBAKED, Justin Jay, The Nth Power, Poranguí, and Ravenscoon.
In addition to the wide variety of musical acts, the music and arts festival will feature a plethora of visual and performance art, healing and wellness sanctuaries, workshops, 40+ market vendors, and of course, gem and mineral offerings.
Listed below are Gem & Jam programming highlights. Both weekend and single-day passes are on sale at https://gemandjamfestival.com/.
WIN ARTIST REWARDS VIA FAN-LOYALTY APP UNITEA
Gem & Jam partnered with music loyalty brand Unitea to host the festival app, where fans can build their own schedules, create content with a custom Gem & Jam filter, connect with fellow attendees in Crew Chats, and engage with festival performers to earn Karma points that can be cashed in for exclusive rewards. Download the Unitea app and start streaming music to win prizes like side-stage viewing and signed merch bundles. Learn more about Unitea rewards at Gem & Jam here.
ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS WITH GREEN DISCO
Gem & Jam is fostering a relationship with environmental festival organization Green Disco to improve its environmental footprint and give attendees the opportunity to have an eco-friendly festival experience. Green Disco’s Eco-Band is an optional ticket add-on that supports nonprofits in Tucson, offsets measurable amounts of carbon, and supports environmental data collection efforts. Made from 100% hemp, the $20 wristband allows festival goers to do their part in conserving the environment and provides access to exclusive perks on-site. The Eco-Band can be purchased at checkout or as an add-on through our official ticketing page to be picked up at the box office.
HEALING/WELLNESS
The Topaz Healing Sanctuary will host a variety of spiritual healing workshops, such as alternative medicine classes (Auricular Acupuncture), yoga therapy classes (Meridian Yoga therapy and Science of Self: Yoga and Acupressure), tarot classes (Tarot Intuitive), massage workshops, Reiki and breathwork classes, and more. Guests can also check out Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Bath, where they can immerse themselves in the healing frequencies of crystalline sound.
The Amethyst Stage will host workshops that help nurture creative self-expression and reflection, with programs specializing in activities like yoga classes (Embodied Slow Flow: Yoga & DJ Set), a sensory and sex workshop with Jellywink owner and sex coach and Erin Voss (Sex & Neurodivergence), natural herbs workshop (Urban Soul: Herbalism within City Limits), psychedelics and mushrooms lesson (Mushroom Nootropics & Aphrodisiacs: A Deeper More Titillating Look into Our Connectedness) and a harm reduction workshop (The New Abolitionists - Harm Reduction, Drug Policy, and the Fight for Human Liberty).
Drumming Sounds will host a sacred fireplace for deep community development, friendship, transformation, and fun. It will offer drum circles, drum classes, Mayan astrology, meditation, sound baths, and more. The Drumming Sounds area is a drug and alcohol-free zone for those that want to party with a clear intention.
STARSEED RAINBOW FAMILY CIRCUS
This stage features The Riley Rainbow Family Circus, a spellbinding show that entertains audiences across the country with an old-style circus arts performance blended with a new paradigm of family life. The family zone contains events, performers, speakers, workshop providers, participants, and faces of the future. Guests could also learn all things permaculture at their Earth Guardians booth, or relax in the toddler zone.
PERFORMANCE / VISUAL ART
Performers include clowns, stilters, stilt acrobats, fire dancers, aerial artists, hip-hop dancers, LED hula hoopers and flow artists! The Cirque Roots crew, the Tucson-based, female-operated crew, and longtime Gem & Jam vets, are returning once again to the festival with their mix of fire and acrobatics. The festival is also welcoming back the Phoenix-based Sacred Gs, a street arts collective dedicated to fusing hip-hop dance, spirit-inspired movement, and spoken word. Additional performers include traveling duo Stump Mandolin Clowns, aerialist Nina OG, acrobatic duo Acro Legs, and more. Gem and Jam will also feature a number of talented live painters throughout the weekend.
FOOD VENDORS
Gem & Jam will offer attendees a variety of food and beverage options including plenty of vegan-friendly options and sustainable ingredients. Spanning a vast spectrum of dining options, Gem & Jam will host high-end melt shop The Grilled Cheese Incident, The Smokin Hen House for all BBQ cravings, 100% plant-based Not Cho Fish Taco, Flagstaff locally-owned Square Root, Polish dumpling spot Pierogi Posse, and more. Fans can grab some coffee to refuel at Alchemy Coffee Roasters and Java A Gogo.
CRAFT VENDORS
In addition to all of the workshop offerings, Gem & Jam will once again offer a variety of craft vendors for the family-friendly event. Ranging from bohemian clothing offers to creatively constructed recycled crafts, Gem & Jam will offer a diverse array of products for attendees to explore. Clothing vendors include future-retro creations from Bear Fruit Designs, hand-dyed festival garments from Marybgoround and Eli’s Dyes, and one-of-a-kind up-cycled fashion from I’m Crowning. Uniquely-crafted trinkets and gifts can be purchased from antique watch welders Moon Glory Gears, pendants and jewelry from The Giving Pendant and Third Eye Pinecones, as well as high-quality handcrafted leather goods from El Gato Montés.
