Experience the lifestyle of the near future. The Earth Harmony Festival brings attendees into the progressive and innovative lifestyle of a fully functioning EcoVillage. Held at Avalon Organic Gardens & EcoVillage in Tumacácori, October 7 and 8, the Earth Harmony Festival offers a one-of-a-kind experience to tour and camp in North America’s largest EcoVillage during a weekend of conscious music, delicious food, local vendors and crafts, activities for kids and presentations on a wide variety of sustainable living practices—all set on 220 acres of the scenic Santa Cruz River valley, nestled between the Tumacácori and San Cayetano Mountains.

Avalon Garden’s founders, Gabriel of Urantia and Niánn Emerson Chase, began the Earth Harmony Festival to share the vision unfolding at Avalon Gardens, and both the festival and the vision have been growing ever since. Festival organizer Amadon DellErba says, “We want to educate and inspire others to change their consciousness around what it means to be truly sustainable by experiencing a regenerative culture in action. We have created a physical and sacred reality that models the intrinsic values of environmental, social and spiritual sustainability.”

This year’s festival is set to be the biggest yet, with newly constructed buildings to be showcased on the EcoTour and internationally acclaimed speakers taking the stage. The popular EcoTours share a comprehensive look into organic gardening, permaculture, rainwater harvesting, grey water harvesting, heritage crops and heirloom seeds, poly-culture and food diversity, composting, solar and wind energy, green building techniques incorporating natural materials as well as upcycled and recycled materials, watershed management and Arizona’s largest Food Forest.

Keynote speakers include Bill McDorman, Kate Tirion and Ben Lomeli. McDorman is the former Executive Director of Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson and co-founder of several seed-saver organizations including the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance. He is also the author of Basic Seed Saving and was featured in the award-winning documentary, SEED: The Untold Story. Tirion is the Director of Deep Dirt Farm Institute, and will be speaking on her work as consultant, designer and manager for large-scale projects transforming landscapes into long-term sustainable systems. Lomeli is a consulting Hydrologist and Natural Resources Scientist with over 35 years of working experience with special emphasis on engineering, water rights, riparian ecosystems, flood control, riverine morphology, grazing systems, erosion control, site and water development, groundwater and international issues.

“In order to make positive changes on the ground,” Lomeli says, “there must first be positive changes in people’s hearts. We must therefore concentrate on building partnerships wherever possible.”

The music lineup for the festival includes headlining artist TaliasVan & The Bright & Morning Star Band, a 13-piece band of seasoned musicians from around the world, playing CosmoPop—music of the future for minds of the future. CosmoPop is spiritually-hip vocal music that addresses the sufferings of our times and gives hope for a better world to come. It is TaliasVan’s unique form of spiritual-vocal music that incorporates spiritual lyrics, mantra and sacred dance using rock, jazz, celtic, folk, world music, CosmoFolk and even CosmoCountry to create an interuniversal and interdimensional experience.

Global Change Music bands VansGuard and Starseed Acoustic Ensemble are also on this year’s lineup. For socially conscious folk-rock band VansGuard, aligning spirituality, familial bonds, humanitarian and ecological concerns and fine songcraft is a rallying call for a global paradigm shift. Starseed Acoustic Ensemble is one of the voices of true change. Their unique style of folk rock will get attendees on their feet, uplift their heart and inspire minds to build a future of light and life.

`Entrance to the festival is $10 for ages 12 and up, and $3 for ages 11 and under. Fees for camping, activities and EcoTours help foster the EcoVillage’s many prototype projects for creating a more sustainable, environmentally conscious and equitable world. Proceeds from the festival support Avalon Gardens Internships, the Personality Integration Rehabilitation Program and Homeless Is Not My Choice—nonprofit programs which assist individuals from diverse backgrounds in various levels of healing, training and education to actualize their dreams and talents.

For tickets and camping reservations, call 520-398-2542 or visit EarthHarmonyFestival.org. See ad, page 18.