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As people began to flow into the Thornden Park Amphitheater for an afternoon of music on Saturday, they were met with a wall full of blank faces and an invitation to draw a self-portrait onto one of them.

This pop-up mural commemorated the introduction of BareRoots Music Festival, a brand new, locally founded event, to the city of Syracuse.

“BareRoots is really about shining a light on the creative culture that already exists in Syracuse, and our job is to lift it up and show that there’s a lot going on here and a lot to be proud of,” said Sarah Sgromo, co-founder and communications director for BareRoots.

Five local bands — Pop Culture, Vaporeyes, Ruha, Honey for the Bees Band and Glass Image — took to the amphitheater stage to play a variety of genres, ranging from indie folk to psychedelic and progressive rock. Meanwhile, attendees could walk “The Neighborhood,” a pop-up gallery showcasing local artists and a highlight for students who attended.

Visitors could also check out craft vendors, eat from local food trucks, get a tattoo from inkyweevil or even receive an oracle reading from The Deck of Character.

Some attendees lounged on the amphitheater grass, nodding along to the live music, while others stood and chatted with a Middle Ages Brewing Company drink in hand. The competitive clamor of kids playing cornhole floated over from the field behind the vendor stands.

A few key elements came together to create the festival’s identity and mission. Hosting the event at Thornden was important to the founders. Cameron Clarke, a local artist and another founder of the festival, said when he saw the amphitheater at Thornden for the first time, he was surprised that it wasn’t being used for concerts more often.

Free entry was also an important aspect when it came to building out BareRoots, Clarke said. Their team wanted to make the festival as accessible as possible and remove potential barriers to experiencing the art and music Syracuse has to offer.

“I think having it be free really enables and cultivates a sense of community and inclusivity that even a $1 ticket tarnishes a little bit,” he said.

It was also important to the founders that everything be local. They kept the festival Syracuse-focused to show the rich cultural scene in the city and create a sense of pride for the people living in it, Sgromo said.

The BareRoots Music Festival features five local Syracuse bands. The bands represented a variety of genres from indie folk to psychedelic rock. Isabella Flores | Staff Photographer

Clarke said his time in the Syracuse art scene kick-started his interest in building community around art.

“Seeing the great stuff that comes from a bunch of artists being together, coming up with ideas, making things happen, and being very experimental, I’ve kind of made it a priority to bring artists together, bring creatives together, and just see the fruits of what comes from it,” Clarke said.

The image of two hands holding up the amphitheater was the best way to visually represent the festival and its mission, Sgromo said. The symbol was chosen for two reasons: because the event was created to feature art and music that people brought to life with their own hands, and because the festival itself took many hands working together to create.

In an effort to involve students at Syracuse University, BareRoots partnered with student organization CrossRoads Collective to organize volunteers and aid in marketing and outreach. Miles Scherer, president of CrossRoads Collective, said the goal was to bridge the gap between the university and city populations.

“I hope people that attend this event can begin to appreciate that there is so much that Syracuse has to offer and it doesn’t just have to be limited to the classroom or the same five blocks,” Scherer said.

Vendors noted the importance of these events for cultivating community and appreciation for the arts.

Mahlon Gatneau of Wick.ed Aromas Fragrance Co. said events like these help him meet customers and other vendors, expanding his network.

“Whenever I participate in these kinds of events, I feel like I’m with my people,” said Bharati Mahajan, an illustrator and stationery maker. “It’s so inspiring. It gives me ideas. Overall, a community where there is appreciation of art, that’s where I belong.”

While the event acted as a way to meet people with similar interests and involvement in the creative scene, it was also a way to showcase diverse artistic points of view.

Festival attendees lounged on the grass or in hammocks enjoying live music. Food and art vendors were available for visitors to enjoy as well. Isabella Flores | Staff Photographer

In “The Neighborhood,” abstract paintings, cartoons, collages, sculpture and decorated skateboards sat side by side. Rachel Carpenter, an artist and SU Ph.D student, said they love seeing this variety of pieces in the same place.

“We have people who are doing sort of classical studio art, and they’re using very expensive, refined kinds of materials, and then we have people who are doing stuff where it’s all found materials,” Carpenter said.

To some, BareRoots represents the liveliness of Syracuse’s art scene and just how much it’s growing and creating awareness.

Mahajan, originally from India, has lived in Syracuse for almost 10 years. She said she’s seen the art scene growing in the past two or three years. It took Mahajan a while to find her community, but attending these events brings joy to her now, she said.

The team behind BareRoots plans to keep it going in the years to come and continue to grow the festival. The main goal of this year was to build a foundation for an annual event people can look forward to, Sgromo said.

“We had to get to a smaller-sized event from what our big dreams are — that speaks a lot to how passionate we are,” she said. “We want to do more, we want to do the biggest things.”

Published on September 14, 2025 at 8:26 pm