Since launching in 2024, MeadowFest has highlighted the important work and supported SIMS Foundation and Out Youth, two Austin nonprofits providing critical mental health services and support for musicians, young people and the LGBTQIA+ community. Organizers hope to raise even more support and awareness for these two important community organizations in 2026 as the festival expands its audience and reach. MeadowFest was founded in memory of Meadow Goodman, a 15-year-old Anderson High School student and aspiring musician who lost her battle with mental illness on August 12, 2023. The daughter of local musician Greg Goodman, Meadow was known for her drumming skills, compassion for people and animals, and fierce sense of social justice. Her family transformed tragedy into action through the creation of MeadowFest and the Meadow E. Goodman Foundation for Mental Health Awareness, which works to reduce stigma around mental health and help prevent suicide among young people. “There’s a stigma that is tied to suicide,” says MeadowFest founder Greg Goodman. “We feel like in order to get help and attention to this issue, it needs to be discussed, and it can’t be tucked away. And I can think of no better way to celebrate the life of my daughter than a day filled with music and fun with those we love.” CultureMap previously praised MeadowFest for its “impressive lineup with lots of recent buzz and longtime appeal,” adding that the event “is emerging as an important local festival not just because of its mission, but because of its lineup."