Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival

After Bill Solleder and Shea Childs moved to Hot Springs (Garland County) in 2003, they found that they wanted to re-create some of the experimental music scene they had enjoyed while living in Chicago. They noted that Arkansas was a natural stop for many musicians traveling to and from the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival held each spring in Austin, Texas. By contacting friends and getting a few bookings, the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival (VOV) was born in March 2005.

The annual event was originally held at several locations in downtown Hot Springs before settling at a warehouse that once served as the laundromat for the former Velda Rose hotel, a site that could hold about a hundred people. In 2005, Solleder and Childs formed Low Key Arts, a nonprofit organization under which the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival would operate. Housed at 620 Central Avenue in Hot Springs, Low Key Arts is an umbrella organization that features such programs as the Arkansas Shorts Short Film Festival, the Inception to Projection filmmaking workshop, and the annual Hot Water Hills Music & Arts Festival, which takes place each fall.

VOV grew each year as word of mouth spread among independent musicians and as music fans packed the warehouse venue. One of its major strengths was a group of local volunteers who supported VOV’s effort to become known for its outstanding hospitality. A feature of the hospitality effort was the Adopt-A-Band program, in which volunteers would be teamed with specific artists, welcoming them as they arrived, being their point of contact during their stay, and even providing a gift basket that might contain anything from food to clean socks.

In 2021, VOV moved to Cedar Glades Park in Hot Springs, where it began averaging about 400 to 500 people for the three-day festival. In addition, the outdoor venue made it friendly for campers.

VOV has hosted more than 3,000 musicians and artists from across the United States as well as those from such places as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and South Korea. About twenty bands generally play each year in musical styles that have ranged from genres including country, dance pop, folk, hip-hop, punk, and rock. While VOV is considered an unpretentious festival, it is known and respected for its low ticket prices, uncommon hospitality, and a dedication to prioritizing little-known, eclectic artists who may be on the way to greater success.

In 2024, Valley of the Vapors held a special event, partnering with Atlas Obscura, a travel site aimed at unusual destinations. VOV crowds came together over a four-day celebration to view the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The event was billed as one of the few places in the country to offer a full viewing of the eclipse while also providing exciting musical performances and an outstanding campground.

For additional information:
“Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival.” Atlas Obscura. https://ecliptic.atlasobscura.com/ (accessed July 3, 2024).

Clancy, Sean. “The Beat Goes On.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 17, 2022, pp. 1E, 6E. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/mar/17/the-beat-goes-on/ (accessed July 3, 2024).

———. “Crystal Clear.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 12, 2019, pp. 1E, 6E. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/mar/12/crystal-clear-20190312/ (accessed July 3, 2024).

———. “Valley of the Vapors Music Festival Returns to Hot Springs.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 13, 2023. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/mar/13/valley-of-the-vapors-music-festival-returns-to-hot-springs/ (accessed July 3, 2024).

Grear, Daniel. “19th Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival Is This Weekend.” Arkansas Times, March 13, 2023. https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2023/03/13/19th-valley-of-the-vapors-independent-music-festival-is-this-weekend (accessed July 3, 2024).

———. “Atlas Obscura and Valley of the Vapors Are Partnering for an Eclipse-Themed Festival.” Arkansas Times, January 17, 2024. https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2024/01/17/atlas-obscura-and-valley-of-the-vapors-are-partnering-for-an-eclipse-themed-festival (accessed July 3, 2024).

———. “Devotion, Decency and the DIY Spirit: A History of the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival.” Arkansas Times, April 2023, pp. 60–64. Online at https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2023/03/16/devotion-decency-and-the-diy-spirit-a-history-of-the-valley-of-the-vapors-independent-music-festival (accessed July 3, 2024).

Greene, Alex. “Eclectic Ecliptic: The Music of Hot Springs’ Festival.” Memphis Flyer, April 12, 2024. https://www.memphisflyer.com/eclectic-ecliptic-the-music-of-hot-springs-festival (accessed July 3, 2024).

Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival—VOV. https://www.facebook.com/valleyofthevapors/ (accessed July 3, 2024).

“Valley of the Vapors (VOV) Independent Music Festival.” Low Key Arts. https://www.lowkeyarts.org/programs/vov (accessed July 3, 2024).

Nancy Hendricks
Garland County Historical Society