INTERVIEW with EUPHORIA FESTIVAL co-founder TYLER GOVAARS

INTERVIEW WITH EUPHORIA CO-FOUNDER TYLER GOVAARS

Mitch Morales, co-founder of the Euphoria Music festival, was not the only one involved in the dream that started it all off on April 7, 2012 as a one-day event at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas. Beside him was his soon to be wife, Tyler Govaars, to whom he proposed at the 2016 Euphoria Festival.

The inaugural Euphoria one-day event pulled about 2,500 attendees and 6 years later the festival is bigger than they could have imagined. The 2016 festival lasted four days from April 7–10, with around 6,000 people camping, and averaged 20,000 people each day when including day tickets. The 2017 edition promises to be bigger than ever, with a varied lineup traversing numerous genres, and the introduction of the Art Outside Village: replete with workshops, yoga and it’s own music stage.

Creating a pop up city for tens of thousands of people with infrastructure that must fulfill all the human and entertainment needs of the attendees is a learning curve which many may not decide to tackle. Add to it a yearly raising of the ‘expectations bar’ due the competitive market of festivals, and you can see why it takes a strong team to keep the vision alive.

But Tyler, owner/blogger at The Weekend Edit and Adopt-a-Creek Leader at Keep Austin Beautiful is no stranger to adventure, chasing dreams and finding outlets for her enthusiastic take on life. Having traveled near and far to over 32 countries, being a festival cofounder just seemed right up her alley.

So, curious about just who Tyler Govaars was, we ask her about life, fashion, the festival, aliens and more!

Q & A with Tyler Govaars-

LIFE

Q: What question do you hate to answer?

A: What do you do for a living.

Q: What have you always wanted? And did you ever get it?

A: A creative life filled with adventure, spontaneity and love — yes.

Q: Would you rather regret doing something, or not doing it at all?

A: Regret doing something, how else will you experience greatness?

Q: What super power do you dream of having?

A: Flight.

Q: At what age did you become an adult?

A: I’m not sure I have.

Q: The best part of waking up is?

A: When you manage to do it in time to catch the sunrise.

Q: What do you miss most about being a kid?

A: An uninhibited imagination: with no fear of failure or concern over being judged. Pure creation.

Q: What is the one thing you are truly passionate about?

A: Euphoria.

FASHION

Q: Are you Eco conscious?

A: Yes, as much as I can be without making everyday life too cumbersome.

Q: Do you support local boutique fashion?

A: Yes of course.

Q: Was there ever a time when your mom tried to influence what to wore? Did you listen?

A: Ha, yes. But she has a classic eye, and in the end it was always for the best.

Q: Did your dad have style?

A: Yes. Sporty style.

Q: Would you spend your entire paycheck on shoes or bags?

A: Probably not, because there is more to life than what you wear on your feet or hold on your arm and I’m a minimalist at heart. I would however spend it on an experience without hesitation.

Q: What is something you can’t help but spend money on?

A: Travel.

Q: What is your oldest vintage garment in the closet?

A: A perfectly worn jean jacket from when I was 12. Still fits and is incredibly soft.

Q: Would you ever wear flip-flops to a party?

A: Depends on the party, and location. In Austin, maybe, but you can get away with just about anything here.

Q: Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?

A: My last wish was off the shoulder tops and dresses…. And that already came true.

THE FESTIVAL

Q: What do you get championed for in regards to Euphoria?

A: Balancing growth and authenticity, the vibes and our dragonfly stage — it’s pretty epic.

Q: What’s the most inspirational musical experience you’ve had in recent years?

A: Watching Above & Beyond’s closing set on Sunday at Euphoria 2016 with my family and friends. It was lightly raining and the raindrops were sparkling as they hit the lasers in the night sky. And then, of course, the surprise proposal by my long time partner, Mitch. It would be hard to dream up something more euphoric.

Q: Your festival has so much diversity in the music, what are the pros and cons of that?

A: For us it is all pros. One of the challenges (and responsibilities) of having a devoted audience is continuing to introduce new genres of music and ideas. If we can encourage our fans to step outside of their comfort zone, we’ve done a good job. That is ultimately what fosters growth, creativity and compassion. For us, keeping a diverse lineup is an incredibly important aspect of the entire Euphoria experience.

Q:What was the original vision or inspiration that drew you to create a music festival?

A: Travel and a love for festivals and the community of camping festivals; specifically, to create.

Q: Do you attend other people’s festivals? Besides yours, what’s your next favorite?

A: Most recently Tomorrowland in Belgium, Electric Forest, Burning Man and Shambhala. Each one was magical in its own way.

Q: Did your friends and family always support you or did you go maverick?

A: My family has been nothing but supportive. My parents, brother and his significant other have all played a huge part in each year’s festival; both by physically being there, and as an emotional support system throughout the rest of the year.

Q: Most event planners understand the difficulties that one of the biggest boundaries to “greening” festivals is the cost. If a proposal does not save money but can significantly reduce the festival’s environmental impact and improve its branding, would it be implemented?

A: Yes, I think so. Greening the festival and leaving the Ranch that we call home in a better state than we found it is hugely important. This year Euphoria adopted Carson Creek that runs between the festival and campgrounds. We also hosted two river cleanups (one before and one during the festival) as part of our Ecophoria initiative. We also had the biggest adoption of ride share (Fasten) and shuttles to date, which drastically cut down on the number of cars per attendee. We look forward to introducing even bigger and better greening initiatives in the coming years.

Q: Do you think, fundamentally, that music festivals are unsustainable? How close are you to these core environmental principles for a greener festival- switching to compost; switching to reusable; encouraging public transportation through strategic venue location; and using carbon offsets to create a carbon neutral event?

A: Possibly. But if we can instill new ways of thinking and encourage even the smallest behaviors towards greening in our attendees’ everyday lives, that will create an almost ripple effect of change as they move back out into the world.

1 WORD ANSWERS

WORD ASSOCIATION

Thank you once again Tyler Govaars! It was fun getting to know you. You can read her travel blog here The Weekend Edit. See you all at Euphoria!

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