Every year, over 29 million people visit the National Mall expecting miles of lustrous granite memorials and monuments. In reality, tourists are met with cracked sidewalks, dead fish floating atop ponds and historic monuments missing chunks of fallen stone. But the Trust for the National Mall is not going to sit by and let this happen any longer.

An estimated 50,000 people gathered on West Potomac Park September 26–27 for the Landmark Music Festival to raise a portion of the $750 million dollars needed to repair the National Mall, last renovated 39 years ago. The festival, sponsored by the Trust for the National Mall, kicked off the Landmark Campaign. The Campaign serves to educate Americans about the importance of the National Mall as well as raise funds to restore it to its former glory.

Spread over five stages, 42 artists performed, from Drake to The Strokes to alt-J, Miguel and more.

Trust for the National Mall Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristine Fitton described how the Trust came up with this idea.

“We knew we wanted to do a mass audience event for awareness building among millennials since most of the events we’ve done to date have been with smaller groups of often older donors,” Fitton said. “There’s a rich history of music on the National Mall, and we liked the idea of mixing that up a bit with a five-stage festival environment.”

The Trust worked with concert promoter C3 Presents to plan the event.

“Our production partner C3 Presents was selected because of their great track record creating exciting and safe events in iconic urban parks—including on the National Mall—and we’re thrilled to see them bring their professionalism and passion to our cause,” Trust President Caroline Cunningham said in a speech announcing the Landmark Music Festival April 28.

The two companies worked closely to secure a diverse mix of artists in order to attract a broad range of fans.

Even the festival’s food court featured an eclectic selection of food, curated by chef José Andrés. The options included Oyamel, Maki Shop, Beefsteak, Ben’s Chili Bowl and more.

The concert had something for everyone, regardless of age. Younger children had their own designated area where they could get temporary airbrush tattoos or even a punk hairdo.

In another section of the venue, there was a tent that provided an interactive look back at some of the National Mall’s most historic moments and information about the restoration.

“From eighth-grade class trips to the famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, the National Mall is our nation’s common ground,” Cunningham said. “We want this festival to start a conversation among Americans across the country about the role they can play in preserving this iconic park and the values it represents.”

Overall, concertgoers found it a great way to bring Americans together, just as the National Mall does every day.

“I loved how the whole festival was just like a small community of people who are all in the same place for the same reason doing something they love,” Junior April Reisenfeld said. “The music was amazing but the sense of community and the people there were just as amazing.”

Although the inaugural event in the Landmark Campaign is over, everyone can still play a part in helping preserve the most important park in America by donating or attending future events put on by the campaign.

“If you care about preserving the story of America, you should have a stake in preserving the National Mall,” Fitton said.