It’s all about the togetherness, baby.

Togetherfest is coming once again to showcase the vastly growing local music scene Saturday after the Homecoming game. And the best part is it’s free.

“We want to showcase newer bands here in Ames and let the people that are new to the city check out some of the bands that have been around for a while,” co-organizer Brent Safranski said.

Togetherfest 2 will be held at the Towers Residence Association fields, starting at 4 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m., projecting nine hours of local music into the cool night air.

“Ames has such good talent but they are almost always playing in bars,” Safranski said.

“Towers has a lot of young people out there that will be able to check this out,” he said.

Co-organizer Justin Means is in charge of bringing in bands for the show, while Safranski is handling the funding and other details for the event.

The bands performing include headliner Medulla Oblongata, Mediocre Superhero, Mr. Plow, Grubby Ernie, Bocca Saint and Custom.

Also performing between bands and in its own set will be the Ames DJs, Ground Control.

Both Means and Safranski are hoping this show will help the local bands get a bigger following so the local music scene can continue to expand.

“I want people to find a band they like and get behind them,” Means said.

“If they are playing another show down the road, I want these people to go down there and support them,” he said.

One thing that sets Togetherfest 2 apart from last year’s show is its extensive variety of music.

“We will have a jazzy type of band, we have rock, funk and hopefully some hardcore and some rap,” Means said.

Both organizers agree that the hardest thing about putting on this show was getting the funding to allow for a free show.

“It was frustrating that getting a few dollars out of the college was so difficult,” Means said. “Since it is an alcohol and drug free event on the Saturday night of Homecoming week, you’d think we would get a little more support.”

Time has definitely been a factor for the event also. Means and Safranski had only recently conjured up the idea and have worked overtime to get it to happen.

“Coming up with all the money in this short amount of time was hard,” Safranski said.

“Going through all the channels and cutting through all the red tape was not easy but the Student Activity Center was a great help,” he said.

The Government of the Student Body provided the major funding for the occasion and Pro Sound is providing the stage and sound system.

Since it is alcohol and drug free, the festival is also being funded in part by a grant from the Iowa State Incentives Program.

“Pro Sound and Dharma Records have been a really great help for us,” Safranski said.

Togetherfest 2 is presented by Ames Area Artists and the Towers’ Petersen House and is sponsored by Government of the Student Body, InterResidence Hall Association, InterFraternity Council, Dharma Records and Pro Sound.