ZAOstock
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A community-built music festival
that runs at break-even.

ZAOstock 2026 is the fourth chapter in the ZAO Festivals series. ZAO-PALOOZA in NYC broke even. ZAO-CHELLA in Miami brought together 16+ musicians and 100+ visual artists. ZAOville hits the DMV this July. Now we are taking the model to Ellsworth, Maine - on the road to Acadia, during Maine Craft Weekend.

Date
Oct 03 2026
Venue
Franklin St Parklet
City
Ellsworth ME
Entry
Free
What it is

One stage. All day. Free to listen.

A one-day outdoor music festival at the Franklin Street Parklet in downtown Ellsworth, Maine. Independent artists with DJs between every act. Part of the 9th annual Art of Ellsworth during Maine Craft Weekend.

Free to attend. The first round of crowdfunding is live - 20 people, $50 each, the next $1,000 toward the festival. Everyone who chips in gets a Pro Ticket and a 1:1 with the team.

Built by 27 teammates and 100+ ZAO community members. Run at break-even.

Date
Saturday October 3, 2026
Time
12 PM - 6 PM Eastern
Location
Franklin St Parklet, Ellsworth Maine
Series
9th Annual Art of Ellsworth
Weekend
Maine Craft Weekend
The Lineage

What came before.

The ZAO Festivals series tested the model in two cities before Ellsworth. ZAO-PALOOZA proved community could volunteer-organize a real festival in 6 weeks and break even. ZAO-CHELLA proved the model scales across communities and IP rails.

Past Event / NYC · Apr 2024

ZAO-PALOOZA

Community meet-up during NFT NYC. 12 artists. Volunteer-organized in six weeks. Broke even.

Past Event / Miami · Dec 2024

ZAO-CHELLA

Showcase in Wynwood during Art Basel. 16+ musicians, 100+ visual artists, 50+ music communities. ZAO HOUSE artist residency. Live WaveWarZ battle, cipher recorded on-site.

Upcoming / DMV · Jul 2026Next

ZAOville

DMV chapter co-hosted with DCoop (founder of The VEC; performed at CHELLA 2024, returning for ZAOstock). Cross-promotion across the series. Lineup includes PROF!T, ELYVN, and more.

Why Ellsworth

The crossroads of Downeast Maine.

Ellsworth sits at the gateway to Acadia National Park. The downtown received National Historic Register designation. The Heart of Ellsworth runs the Art of Ellsworth series, now in its 9th annual year.

Population 8,000. Awareness goal: 4,000 residents have heard of ZAOstock before October 3. The infrastructure to support a festival here already exists - we are plugging into it.

Town population
8,000
Status
National Historic Register
Host series
Art of Ellsworth
Year
9th annual
Awareness goal
4,000 residents pre-event
The Numbers

What is real, today.

27

Teammates building this

100+

ZAO community members

2

Prior festivals (NYC + Miami)

501(c)(3)

Funding infrastructure via NMC / Fractured Atlas

The Model

Four ways the festival gets funded.

01 / Attendees

Free entry

The festival is free to attend. Sidewalk listening always free. Parklet entry free. We are not gatekeeping music.

02 / Pro Ticket

$50 - round 1 of 20

First crowdfunding round: 20 people, $50 each, $1,000 total. Everyone who chips in gets a Pro Ticket - a 1:1 with the team and a real way to plug in. Direct support for artist pay.

03 / Sponsors

3 tracks

Main Stage, Broadcast, Year-Round. Two paths: tax-deductible via NMC/Fractured Atlas, or commercial via ENTERACT. Custom packages for local + national.

04 / Partners

Time + venue

Partners give time, venue, and infrastructure - not cash. Named credit in exchange. 5 partners locked.

Two-Path Money Flow

Tax-deductible or commercial. Pick the one that fits.

Public Path

Tax-deductible donation

Donor pays Fractured Atlas (501(c)(3)). FA takes admin (6-8%). Funds flow to New Media Commons (the fiscally sponsored project of FA). NMC routes production funds to ENTERACT (2% treasury fee). ENTERACT executes the production.

Sponsor gets a tax receipt. Best for donors who need the deduction.

Commercial Path

Direct via ENTERACT

Client pays ENTERACT directly. 50% upfront, 50% before delivery. ENTERACT takes 2% treasury fee. Production executes against the brief.

No tax receipt. Best for commercial sponsors who do not need the deduction.

Sponsor Tracks

Same level of recognition. Pick by what fits your goals.

Main Stage Sponsor

01
  1. 01Named credit on stage banner and signage
  2. 02Booth or table space on-site
  3. 03Welcome bag inclusion
  4. 04Live verbal credit during the event
  5. 05Co-presented in all printed materials

Broadcast Sponsor

02
  1. 01Named credit on festival website with backlink
  2. 02Livestream overlay credit
  3. 03Sponsored segment plus interview feature
  4. 04Social campaign across Farcaster, X, and Bluesky
  5. 05Newsletter credit (400+ editions)

Year-Round Sponsor

03
  1. 01Post-event thank-you feature and recap
  2. 02Advisory seat for Year 2 planning
  3. 03Priority placement in 2027
  4. 04Eligible support administered through New Media Commons, a fiscally sponsored project of Fractured Atlas
Confirmed Partners

Five locked. More in conversation.

Confirmed/CFM

Heart of Ellsworth

Local promotion + Maine Craft Weekend coordination

Confirmed/CFM

Town of Ellsworth

Parklet venue

Confirmed/CFM

New Media Commons (via Fractured Atlas)

Fiscal sponsorship infrastructure for eligible initiatives

Confirmed/CFM

ENTERACT

Production + operational support

Confirmed/CFM

Web3Metal

Partnership integration + community surface

The Team

Built by these people.

Tap any name for full bio + links

Start a conversation

Write us. We respond.

ZAOstock is moving. The festival is October 3, 2026. The lineup window closes September 3. Sponsor and partner conversations are happening now. If any of this lands, write us.