Legacy Fest is the flagship activation of the Ready & Forward Movement, a veteran-led California nonprofit initiative working to strengthen communities, elevate mental health awareness, connect people to resources, and restore purpose through service.
Legacy Fest brings people together for a powerful civic experience that blends live music, ceremony, wellness, leadership, unity and community engagement.
The event ultimately functions as both a cultural catalyst and a gateway to care—bringing people together in a way that feels powerful, dignified, and forward-moving while quietly directing attention toward the deeper mission of building lasting infrastructure for veterans and communities.
More than a single event, Legacy Fest represents the beginning of a national cultural movement grounded in service, resilience, and unity.
We work toward a long-term mission to help restore Historic Camp Lockett in San Diego County, once home to the legendary 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers, as a future hub for veteran services, leadership development, community programming, and national gatherings. This effort aligns with the County of San Diego’s Camp Lockett Master Plan, which envisions the site as a place of historic preservation, education, unity, and public engagement.
Legacy Fest serves as the public launch point of that mission—while also honoring the legacy of the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen, Women in Service, the enduring contributions of America’s armed forces and service communities, and beyond.
About Legacy Fest
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Created by the non-profit organization Ready and Forward, Legacy Fest is an event held by veterans, first responders, service families, and community members — in order to bring together the broader community through ceremony, music, history, wellness, and mission-driven activation.
The event is for veterans, active duty service members, military families, first responders, and all community members who support them.
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A first-of-its-kind national festival that honors history, strengthens community, and moves our nation forward.
Legacy Fest is more than a concert, festival, or charity event. It’s a gathering built around ceremony, music, history, wellness, and mission-driven activation — creating meaningful connections and lasting impact.
This is a large-scale movement designed to restore purpose, rebuild community, and elevate culture through shared experience, service, and remembrance.
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Legacy Fest will take place in San Diego, California — America’s Finest Military City.
Home to over 250,000 veterans, 110,000 active duty service members, and almost 50,000 disabled veterans who benefit from the resources that Legacy Fest offers.
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Legacy Fest will take place in June 2027. More details to come as the date approaches.
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America is fractured by politics, trauma, race, isolation, and loss of shared meaning.
Legacy Fest is about gathering, unity, culture, and healing. It is where America gathers to heal, remember, and move forward.
Legacy is not what you leave behind. It is what you build while you are still here.
Official programming will be announced in phases.
Ready & Forward is a veteran-led California nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring purpose, strengthening community, and advancing national unity through service, leadership, wellness, and large-scale cultural activations.
Ready & Forward leads large-scale civic activations and cultural gatherings designed to reconnect Americans through service, resilience, and shared purpose. These events bring together veterans, civic leaders, nonprofits, universities, businesses, and families in experiences that elevate mental health awareness, community engagement, and national stewardship.
More than an organization, Ready & Forward is a growing national movement rooted in the belief that when people come together in service to something greater than themselves, communities heal, leaders rise, and the future moves forward.
Service over self. Unity over division. Ready long before the world says Forward.
To learn more about our non-profit, Ready and Forward — contact our team, visit our website, or follow us on social media.
Ready and Forward
Frequently Asked Questions
Go Fund Yourself
The founder of our non-profit organization, Ready and Forward, was featured on Cheddar TV’s Go Fund Yourself — in order to share our vision for fostering unity, connection, and healing across the nation, as well as revitalizing Camp Lockett.