Phuzz
Phest

Phuzz Phest was born as an accidental music showcase, and grew over the course of six years to become a recognized staple of culture in the Southeast. From 2011 to 2016, I led an incredible team of volunteers, music lovers and community luminaries to build the festival into an exceptional, diverse and economically-accessible weekend event, overtaking downtown Winston-Salem, NC at 12+ indoor and outdoor venues across the city. We wanted to provide meaningful opportunities for rising local and regional acts to exhibit their talent on-stage alongside acclaimed national and international artists. And we didn’t want ticket fees to be a financial burden to the bartenders and baristas who make our local music community so interesting in the first place.

The obstacles were many. For one, nothing like this had ever been done in Winston-Salem. And though our budget grew in later years, we started with nothing, and it’s comically easy to lose money on music events. Phuzz Phest was not only a showcase for 200+ incredible musical acts (and future stars). The festival was a testament to the power of design, carefully-curated content and prudent marketing strategy to build and resonate with audiences.

My Role:
Founder
Creative Director
Business Development
Marketing Director
Talent Buyer

Identity Design by Adam Dixon
Photography by Josh Gooch & Robert Bennett