Good Things Are Happening Fest celebrates third and biggest year yet at Scranton Iron Furances

SCRANTON — Good Things Are Happening Fest holds the third annual summer concert to honor the spirit of NEPA at Scranton Iron Furnaces on Saturday, August 10, from noon to 9:00 p.m.

The festival of positivity is back — and it’s bigger and better than ever! This community-focused music and arts festival brings hundreds of like-minded people together from all over the area to celebrate the vibrant culture of Scranton with a day of 11 hand-picked local and regional music acts and 30+ vendors.

Headlining this year’s event is Scranton native Wicca Phase Springs Eternal known for his solo work and collaborations with Lil Peep and GothBoiClique. Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, previously the lead singer of Scranton pop punk band Tigers Jaw, has since pioneered a new genre/subculture of his own.

Other performances include Those Clever Foxes, Love Lab, Halogens, oldsoul, If Kansas Had Trees, The Resonaters, Pucker Up!, Caracara, University Drive, and of course, event Co-founder and local musician James Barrett.

Event organizer James Barrett is excited about his passion project’s growth in just three years and believes that events like these are essential to the continuity of local culture.

“I hope statistically that it’s our best year — but I also hope it’s just a beautiful day for everybody,” said James Barrett in an interview with The Weekender. “There’s been so much positivity and positive feedback, so I hope the community gets something beautiful out of this as well. For me, it’s my favorite day of the year.”

Good Things Are Happening annually showcases stellar local talent, but James Barrett said he also makes it a point to invite bands from out of state to our region. One of the reasons he started Good Things Are Happening was to give artists new opportunities, and that includes ushering in new faces who may just find they have a love for Scranton too.

James Barrett chooses artists often through connections he’s made playing in the music scene. “Just between playing shows and networking on the internet, I’ve met a lot of really awesome people,” he explained.

Halogens is a band from New Jersey that James Barrett brought here back in May to play The VSpot Bar in Scranton. oldsoul comes from Massachusetts and CaraCara hails from Philadelphia — and this may just be both of their first NEPA appearances!

“Events like these are important to the sustainment of our art and music communities and provide an opportunity for artists big and small to showcase their work,” he said. “They highlight the different cultures and walks of life that Scranton has to offer.”

According to Barrett, the third year is shaping up to be a monumental occasion. For 2024, they’ve also secured a grant from the Lackawanna County Arts Department to keep this annual concert at the Iron Furnaces going! Barrett said, after starting at zero the first two years, this funding has been a huge help.

“Doing this was the biggest thing I’ve ever done. Each year, no matter how much we do it, I’m still going to learn every year,” said James Barrett.

It’s also became too difficult to go it alone, so he’s grateful to have grown a larger, more dedicated team for Good Things Are Happening Fest 2024. Co-founder James Jaskolka is back again as event organizer and this year, they’ve added local organizer Jessica Meoni, known for her work with the Scranton Zine Fest & Punk Rock Flea Market and NEPA Horror Fest.

Barrett says Meoni brings experience, organization, and focus to the table which has made everything run more smoothly. “I can’t say enough great things about her. Super grateful to have Jess helping us this year,” said Barrett.

Matt Kester Productions is also back again doing production for the third year in a row. He’s been a big help over the years taking care of sound, stage, and lights.

In addition to the great, eclectic mix of music, there will be further delights in the form of food, drinks, fun, and art! Artist Eric Bussart (often best known for his local murals) will be present, doing live paintings.

There will also be dozens of vendors peddling arts and crafts, clothing, decor, and other gifts. In addition, enjoy plenty of food and beverages including Revello’s Pizza, Jitty Joe’s, and Thirsty Elephant as well as local breweries such as Voodoo Brewing, Mutant Brewing, and Groove Brewing.

Good Things Are Happening Fest will also again partner with local animal shelters like Friends With Paws to bring pets that are up for adoption. Last year two dogs were adopted, and Barrett says they hope to continue the trend.

Other than that, attendees can look forward to picking out fresh merch this year and catching up with faces, both new and old, across the festival. Free water will be available to all attendees, and re-entry is permitted all day.

“It’s just great to see people enjoying themselves,” said James Barrett. The goal is to continue to grow each other, good weather, and we get a bunch of people to come out. That’s the whole goal, people go and just have a good time.”

Scranton’s Good Things Are Happening Fest was born out of a spontaneous tweet by James Barrett in 2022 which led to his founding of the landmark concert at the Iron Furnaces the very same year. The name is, as you might have guessed, modelled after the famous local news segment and the festival aims to uphold those same familiar, uplifting values at the Saturday, August 10 concert.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at goodthingsfestpa.com for $25 or on-site the day of the event for $30. The event is free for children under 10.

“I can’t believe we’ve made it this far. Hopefully this is our best one,” said James Barrett.