Pilgrimage crowd shot
File photo

After a serious car accident left him in a wheelchair at the age of 18, Austin Whitney wondered if he’d ever be happy again.

Now the owner of Ten Fifty Entertainment, the leading provider of accessibility and guest services at festivals, concerts and other live events across the country, Whitney was mired in darkness after the 2007 accident. In time, however, the California native found his smile and, ultimately, his purpose.

“I was in a pretty bad place at the time,” Whitney said. “Back then my life was doom and gloom. 

“I went to my first festival about six months after getting out of the hospital. It was the first place where I was just able to smile, sing with my friends and not be consumed with anxiety and self-consciousness. It was really like the first moment after the car accident I was really happy.”

Ten Fifty logo

Whitney is now bringing happiness to many through the company he founded in 2014 while in law school and doing ADA-compliance work at live music events. He has clients and works events of all kinds all over the country, including the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival taking place Saturday and Sunday at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm. 

“We’re really grateful to be working with Pilgrimage again,” Whitney said. “We’re looking forward to just a really fun weekend and to have fans back out at the event.”

Ten Fifty Entertainment, named after Whitney’s residence at 1050 Miller Ave. while he was in college in Berkeley, Ca., worked with Pilgrimage in 2018 and 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all live events in 2020.

The company has helped Pilgrimage become more accessible to people with disabilities and to ensure it is ADA compliant. Some of the elements of this include: 

  • dedicated parking in the south lot (only staff and those who have disabilities can park there this year)
  • dedicated check-in lane at gate
  • ADA check-in center where they get special bands
  • wheelchair and mobility device charging stations
  • special viewing areas at main stages

Franklin-based National Seating & Mobility is the “official ADA partner” of Pilgrimage, and first worked with Whitney at the 2019 event. NSM, which customizes chairs and offers mobility services for its clients, will have staff at the viewing areas giving out water, hand fans and providing other assistance.

“We thought it was a great experience, and that’s why we wanted to do it again this year,” NSM Vice President of Marketing Stephanie Buckley said of working with Ten Fifty Entertainment. “It’s important that we’re all a little more cognizant of helping support our disabled community members. NSM just wants to help people and see how we can serve our community a little bit better.”

Whitney, whose company also provided services for the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, said his client base and number of events are growing again after the obvious drop-off of last year.

“I’m very grateful to be doing what I do,” he said, “very grateful to be able to help folks enjoy these very, very cool environments.”

Produced by Better than Ezra front man and Franklin resident Kevin Griffin, alongside Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan, Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival will host more than 50 acts across five stages with Dave Matthews Bands, The Black Keys, Maren Morris and Cage the Elephant as headliners. For more information on the festival, visit www.pilgrimagefestival.com.