Pasafest returns to Pasaquan April 16th to celebrate southern culture

April 1, 2022

On Saturday, April 16, Pasafest returns to Pasaquan in Buena Vista, Georgia, for its first live, in-person event since the start of the pandemic. The Pasaquan Preservation Society, in partnership with Columbus State University, has organized this year’s festival to highlight and celebrate all that is eccentric and strange about Southern culture.

Pasaquan is an immersive, multiculturally inspired and internationally recognized visionary artist environment created by Eddie Owens Martin, a self-taught artist who drew inspiration from many colorful cultures. Pasafest is a reflection on and celebration of St. EOM, as Martin referred to himself, and the incredible art environment he spent 30 years creating.

Michael McFalls, a professor of art at CSU and the director of Pasaquan, is excited for people to once again gather together and revel in this year’s festivities.

“At Pasafest, we try to celebrate and bring attention to the traditions of St. EOM’s life,” explained McFalls. “There will be visual artists who are known for their folk and self-taught styles, fortune tellers, the technicolor face painters, the cosmic cosmetologist, cosmic pickles, and of course, a few Pasaqouyans walking around the seven-acre art site.”

Music was also a vital aspect and form of expression in St. EOM’s life, and this year’s festival features an eclectic blend of country, rock, and psychedelic music.

“We typically have regional bands that come from Georgia and Alabama,” McFalls noted. “This year we have several bands that have the Pasaquan vibe and come from Athens, Georgia.”

But for McFalls, Pasafest is more than a concert and a folk art fair. It is an opportunity—for growth, for transcendence, to teach people to find beauty in both the everyday and the extraordinary.

“Pasafest is a step toward fulfilling our mission by producing programming and fundraising events that will help preserve as well as educate people about this world-renowned visionary art environment."

Gates open at 11 a.m. The Artist Market will be open until 5 p.m., and musical acts will perform from 1 p.m. until the event concludes at 10 p.m.

Guests can purchase tickets online for $20 in advance of Pasafest, or for $30 at the gate on the day of the event. Students and employees with a valid CSU ID can purchase tickets in advance or at the gate for $10. The event website also provides a complete list of musical acts, poets, authors and artists who have committed to be onsite.

To learn more about Pasaquan, visit pasaquan.columbusstate.edu.