This past weekend Superfly Presents, the company behind Tennessee music festival Bonnaroo, launched the Great GoogaMooga, a food and music fest that took over Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Billed as a food-driven "amusement park," the public gathering on Saturday and Sunday offered bites from 75 local restaurants, entertainment from more than 20 bands, some 35 winemakers, and about 30 beer makers. Tickets for the event, which sold out almost immediately after being announced in March, were free on the event's Web site and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers estimated that they distributed approximately 40,000 tickets per day.
Like any inaugural event, the producers faced some logistical challenges, including long lines, instances of food shortage, and some technical malfunctions. Festival-goers also complained about the lack of cell phone reception. "I think the vendors did a really good job in preparing, and they made adjustments for Sunday," said Superfly co-founder Rick Farman. "You can do all the planning in the world, but until you try something, you just don't know."
Still, the folks at Superfly say they have every intention of doing it again next year. "There are a lot of things we can do better," added Farman, "and we made a lot of those adjustments from Saturday to Sunday."
Spanning across the park's Nethermead area, the ticketed event was divided into several individual sections, including the urban farm experience known as the "Urbarn," the kitchen theater tent, and three different stages. Winemakers filled the wine-tasting tent, selling more than 100 wines by the glass or in taste-size cups. There was also a beer pavilion, which offered sips of domestic and foreign craft beers.
Extra Mooga tickets, which sold for $250, gave holders access to talks and showcases by renowned "foodies," such as former critic and cookbook author Ruth Reichl, Momofuku's David Chang, and actor and stand-up comedian Aziz Ansari. Additional perks of the all-inclusive package included access to a main-stage viewing area, an Extra Mooga "sack" filled with favors, and a one-year subscription to New York magazine.