Rob & Whitney Heros have been passionate live music fans for as long as they can remember. They believe that music has the unique power to bring people together, to shape our mutual experience, to create understanding and facilitate communication. 

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When they moved their family out of NE Portland to the (relative) country of rural West Linn, they immediately knew they had a spot that was made for live music. A large & gently sloping lawn surrounded by mature trees and the open sky, with a wide flat area at the bottom perfect for a stage. As they settled into farm life they continued to daydream and wondered if there was a way to somehow combine their love of music with the desire to do more for those in need. One day in the early Spring of 2018, they rather suddenly decided: Why not have a music festival right in their own backyard and use all the proceeds to support charity?

 

A rudimentary stage was set up, beer and wine were generously donated, neighbors chipped in & two food trucks came to support this fledgling idea. Longtime friends Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer of the folk-rock outfit Sway Wild offered to play and bring along the incredible Birds of Chicago. Two more acts rounded out the lineup and in late August about 200 people showed up to the their five acre farm.  The very first Farmathon was a smash success. A great time was had by all, and most importantly over $10,000 was raised that day - every penny of which went to deserving organizations. The feedback from patrons, vendors and charities was overwhelming, and they knew they had created something special. Something that had to continue.

 

Planning for the next Farmathon began almost as soon as that first had ended. Wanting to make things more official, Rob & Whitney formed a corporation, Concerts For Causes, and were granted 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit organization. The second annual Farmathon Music Festival was bigger and better in every way. A professional-quality stage was built and permanent electrical solution was installed and the very first Farmathon merchandise was created. In 2019 Nashville artist Freddy & Francine highlighted another great lineup including a rousing return by Sway Wild. In only its second year, Farmathon raised over $14,000 – again, all of which went to charity. We're off to a fantastic beginning, and with your help we can't wait to see where this journey goes.

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Our Mission: To build community by bringing people together through live music, and to use money raised at those events to support local causes in need.