BETHALTO - You can enjoy a family-friendly music festival while supporting community members in recovery.
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From 1–6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, Amare will host their sixth annual Rockin’4Recovery at Bethalto Park. This event will feature three bands, food trucks, vendors, health and wellness resources, a Kid Zone and more fun. The goal, said Amare executive director Carson Conn, is to promote substance use recovery and remind people that they are not alone.
“If you’re not having fun in recovery, you’re not doing it right,” Conn said. “It shows that you’re not alone in it. There's people all around who have experienced similar things that you have, and they came out on the other side of it. It's really about instilling hope, showing everybody what is possible.”
The Rockin’4Recovery event promises inflatables, a photo booth, and plenty of family-friendly activities for everyone to enjoy. Conn said they are still looking for sponsors, vendors, and health and wellness resources to set up booths at the event. To inquire about this, contact Amare at (618) 331-5905.
As an organization, Amare offers free support to individuals experiencing substance use disorders and their loved ones. The nonprofit offers one-on-one recovery coaching and recovery support in addition to recovery support groups.
All of the recovery coaches have their own experiences with substance use, and they often share their stories with community members. Conn believes these stories are especially powerful for people to hear.
“It’s really important for people to understand, our recovery coaches, they’ve been through this, too. They come out on the other side now,” Conn said. “They’re here to instill hope and help people get through that like when they were in it. I think that’s the biggest thing. Our services are peer-led. They’re not clinical. It’s not like a therapist or a doctor telling you what you should do. It is a person who’s been there walking you through it, ready to go all the way through the journey with you.”
Amare hosts Rockin’4Recovery every year to promote their services and remind people that there is hope. They also want attendees to enjoy the event and have a fun, sober day with others.
“Basically, it’s just to get the community together to show everybody what recovery can look like and that recovery is fun,” Conn explained.
Conn encourages people to reach out to Amare with any questions or to receive assistance. For more information about Amare, visit their official Facebook page or their official website at AmareNFP.org. To learn more about Rockin’4Recovery, including how to get involved as a sponsor, vendor or resource, check out the official Facebook event page.
“Almost everybody that you come in contact with has been touched by substance use in one way or another,” Conn added. “Knowing there’s an organization like Amare that can help connect me to all these resources that would walk me through this journey so I wouldn't have to do it alone, it would be life-changing.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, mental health issues, or thoughts of suicide, help is available. Contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 for confidential support 24/7.
