Recently, the Mountain Valley Spring Water team was in Texas for the annual Luck Reunion. Since 2012, this event has been hosted by Willie Nelson on his ‘Luck, Texas’ ranch outside Austin. Luck Reunion is a movement dedicated to cultivating and celebrating the evolution of our shared American roots. It honors the legacies still among us while lifting a new generation of musicians, artisans and chefs honing their craft with reverence for those who blazed trails before them. As America’s premium spring water, we share a common vision celebrating the harmony, unity and inspiration of this uniquely American music and cultural gathering.
Through the years, the Luck Reunion has become known as a gathering of the tribe. Artists and the 2,000 fans lucky enough to get tickets through an exclusive lottery mingle throughout the day, listening to music performances from 45 artists on 6 stages and visiting artisan booths. And, at this always star-studded event, attendees also had the chance to rub shoulders with likes of Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Woody Harrelson, and Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips, while supporting a worthy cause.
All the proceeds from Potluck Dinner at the yearly reunion benefit Farm Aid, which since 1985, has been raising money for family farmers in the United States. Right now, all the money donated to Farm Aid is being dedicated to those farmers who have been impacted by historic flooding across the Midwest.
The Pot Luck, which is the official kickoff to the annual event, was hosted by The Texas Food and Wine Alliance. This intimate, invitation-only, five-course dinner was made with locally-sourced ingredients and prepared by boundary-pushing Texas chefs who are redefining food from the Hill Country. As the exclusive water of the event, our straight-from-the-source Mountain Valley Spring Water was featured in craft cocktails during happy hour and enjoyed by guests throughout the evening.
Each course of the farm-to-table food and drink menu was curated and prepared by an all-female team: Anne Ng, pastry chef at Bakery Lorraine, Anita Jaisinghani chef-owner of Indian restaurant Pondicheri, Bonnie Wright of Southern Restaurant Olamaie, Jessica Sanders of the former Backbeat cocktail bar, Kristen Kish of comfort food haven Arlo Grey, and Misti Norris acclaimed chef of Petra & The Beast. It was the perfect way to kick off the next day’s festivities. Those lucky few in attendance were also able to get an intimate, private performance from the host himself, Mr. Willie Nelson. Watch the full Pot Luck documentary.
The next day the festivities kept rolling as we kept the exclusive crowd of 4000 hydrated between sets and adult beverages, helping to ensure everyone was having a great time. The Mountain Valley Luck Truck was a seamless addition to the reunion backdrop and created a really Instagrammable moment for attendees. The lines were long for our giveaways and fans really leaned into using our branded #NaturalAmericanGoodness hashtag. We also hosted a text giveaway where one lucky person won a year of free water delivered right to their door. To add to the fun there was also a water bar, corn hole, and tons of prizes. If you stepped over to The Saloon you could also taste some wonderful craft cocktails that were created with premium, pure tasting Mountain Valley Spring Water.
Those in the crowd were treated to a special performance from the legendary Mavis Staples celebrating her 80th birthday. Mountain Valley Spring Water presented a specially curated program on its Back to the Source Stage, featuring a line-up of female artists inspired by, and paying homage to Ms. Staples. Brandy Zdan, Sunny War, Yola, Angie McMahon, Haley Heynderickx, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Mountain Man each performed one of Mavis’s songs during their set and all joined Mavis on stage during her headlining performance. Some 70 years into her career, she still drew a large, enthusiastic crowd. Watch the full Mavis Staples mini documentary.
The epic day concluded with a moonlight set from Willie Nelson himself, who then hopped into his pickup truck and drove up the hill to return home. This was our third consecutive year at Luck Reunion and we are proud to be their official water partner. Being on such beautiful, natural ranch with so many talented artists and visionaries was a truly inspiring experience, and we can’t wait to come back next year. If you were at the Luck Reunion and have some photos or videos please feel free to share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and follow us to see what we’re up to next.
