Students eager to embrace their inner hippie but unwilling to drive the 782 miles to Bonnaroo have a cheap and local alternative this weekend.

This is the second year for the Get Together Festival, which will start on Friday and wrap up early Sunday morning at the Lincoln Caverns Amphitheatre and Campground in Huntingdon. The festival features locals and nationally touring bands.

Jon Guyer, the Get Together Festival promoter, said the outdoor weekend festival at the campground is a quality local alternative to the more well known and expensive festivals. Featuring folk, acoustic blues, Appalachian soul music and old-fashioned rock-and-roll, the venue attracts musical acts that are all about "making good music," Guyer said.

Guyer and co-founder Brandon Corvin went "against the grain" and devoted themselves to finding good music rather than making a large profit, Guyer said. Both spent less money on advertising and instead invested in the quality of the acts, he added.

He and Corvin felt their area of Pennsylvania needed more venues for musical acts during the summertime.

"We wanted to heighten everyone's enjoyment of the area," Guyer said.

So the duo set out to organize a festival where northeastern Pennsylvania music lovers and outdoors lovers could come together. They call the festival a "gathering to celebrate friends and family."

There is no age limit -- Guyer's grandmother attended last year. Camping overnight is not required, and many people brought children last year, Guyer said.

Ekoostik Hookah, who headlined at last year's inaugural festival, will return as the main act this year. A rock-and-roll outfit with "a little bit of everything," the band has the distinction of running their own Ohio festival twice a year since 1994.

Dave Katz, keyboardist and vocalist for Ekoostik Hookah, said this type of environment is what the band is all about. They prefer smaller festivals rather than the "deep-pocketed" events, he said, and enjoy the Get Together Festival's "cookout" vibe.

"Jon Guyer's heart is in the right place and the type of person we like to work with," Katz said.

Guyer attributed last year's 300-strong crowd to the band's devoted fan-base and hopes that their fame, plus word of mouth, will heighten the festival's attendance this year.

"That's how these things work," Katz said, "We keep coming back and our crowd brings friends, plus people local to the area come, and it keeps going."

The word of mouth tactic seems to work, Guyer said. Last year, a State College taxi pulled up and four people got out.

Guyer is hoping for more Penn Staters to make their way to Huntingdon this year, especially with nationally touring State College band The Rustlanders performing.

Chris Rattie, drummer and acoustic guitarist for The Rustlanders, said the band has enjoyed playing outdoors in the past and knew Guyer and Corvin from previous festivals.

Rattie expects the band's fan base will make a contribution to the crowd this year, but they're still hoping to gain some new followers.

The Rustlanders are going to bring something different from the other "jam bands" that are going to be there, Rattie said.

"We are a little more tethered to the earth," he said. "We are gonna make it rock."

But more importantly, they are just excited to get out there and play, Rattie said, adding it's like a "big party."

The Trainjumpers, a "roots rock" band appearing this weekend, had hoped to play at the festival last year, drummer and vocalist Brian Gorby said. This year, they'll get their chance.

Corvin said he saw the band at the Gerry Garcia B-Day Bash festival and asked if they wanted to come to Pennsylvania to play. Last year, the band had scheduling conflicts, but anticipates performing this year for a new crowd, Gorby said.

"There is always a lot of dancing and smiling faces," Gorby said, adding that The Trainjumpers are looking forward to playing for new folks. "We are excited for the chance to spread our word."

Most of the bands have other gigs that weekend and are unable to spend the whole weekend at the festival, but Gorby said he is going to try to hang around as long as he can to enjoy the atmosphere.

On Friday, audiences can get to the campground early to set up camp and enjoy music from the night act, Mysterytrain, before the large crowds come. Guyer is hoping that the extra day will enhance the laid-back atmosphere from last year.

Along with vendors and music, last year's festival featured a 30-foot bonfire, which organizers hope to replicate this weekend.

"Three hundred people were there and we had absolutely no problems," he said.

Guyer said the goal is for locals to really embrace this event as their local music festival.

"I'm looking forward to good weather and good vibes," he said. "We want people to enjoy the cool, relaxing summer days."

Biographies and video clips from all the bands are located on The Get Together MySpace page, as well as a detailed description of each band's genre of music. Festivalgoers can also find a link to pre-order tickets, a list of things to bring and event rules.