One of the goals of the festival was to bring together national acts with more local acts, covering many genres of music. New talent is always being introduced, and this event aims to highlight local and regional talent by putting them with "National" acts to help elevate their visibility and, in turn, their careers. Morningtown Productions has a goal of helping artists succeed by putting them on the stage and giving them the opportunity to perform and the experience they need. In Crowd Promotions books bands at venues to help the events be successful. They are two different parts that together make the show happen.

The Rest Fest will feature Blind Melon, Pat McGee and Lukas Nelson, along with many local groups. Blind Melon is best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain," and they are described as having a neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock. The band formed in California in 1989, and it has members from Indiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. The group’s vocalist, Hoon, was associated with Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, and he was a backup vocalist on several Guns N' Roses tracks on the 1991 Use Your Illusion album. Blind Melon’s single "No Rain" helped bring the band success and led the album to quadruple-platinum status. Capitol Records released a Classic Masters CD showcasing twelve Blind Melon songs in 2002.

Pat McGee Band recently signed a multi-record deal with Kirtland Records. They will tour with Vertical Horizon this summer supporting their CD Save Me, which contains five previously unavailable bonus acoustic tracks and a video for their single, "Must Have Been Love." Pat McGee Band has performed on "Good Day Dallas," "The Daily Buzz," "Good Day Tampa," WGN-Chicago, Fox 2 Morning News in Detroit, and ESPN’s "Baseball Tonight." They will perform on Fox 25 in Boston on August 1st and ESPN2’s "Cold Pizza" on August 2nd.

Lukas Nelson is the son of country icon Willie Nelson, but he has taken his own path as a musician despite their vocal similarities. Lukas dropped out of Loyola Marymount University where he was studying music, and his parents cut him off as a result. However, he had already had a musical education because of his father and his father’s friends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Bob Dylan). Lukas is now leading Promise of the Real, which is a blues-rock band that released its self-titled debut album in December.

Other artists that will be performing include Amish Outlaws, Telesma, Jah Works, the Freddie Long Band, the Knolly Moles, the Golden Butter Band, Frederick Rock School, Lucy, Old Indian and Reid Schoenfelder. Frederick Rock School has provided great opportunities for youth who are interested in performing music. The school has teachers on site, helping the kids play not only on an individual level, but also in a band setting. The kids range from ages 8-16 years old, and the Frederick Rock School has helped them gain the experience and opportunities they need to make their dreams come true, even at a young age.

Scott Gianforte mentioned that we are all dreamers, and the arts help us to follow our dreams. If you start early and believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything. The Frederick Rock School helps provide children with a jump-start to their dreams, and they will undoubtedly be a wonderful addition to the venue at this event. The festival, while providing everyone with endless entertainment, will help people become more educated and aware of the impact of the arts in their lives. It is all around us, and it can help us do extraordinary things.