Established in 2004, one year after the death of the founder of the Glenworth Valley Horse Riding facility, the Festival was recognised as one of the world's leading sustainability events.
Peats Ridge was recognised for discovering and presenting up-and-coming bands and artists, supported by an application process for emerging acts.
In 2010 Angus and Julia Stone, previous up-and-coming artists, headlined on the first night of the event, showing the goodwill that the festival fostered between organisers and performers alike.
[12] Glenworth Valley is one hour north of Sydney and 15 minutes from Gosford, located in the hinterland region of the NSW Central Coast.
A 90-minute drive along the freeway from Newcastle, the valley features 3,000 acres (12 km2) of wilderness and is situated around the winding Popran Creek, which leads to the Hawkesbury River.
[14] The festival featured many initiatives for running a sustainable event, such as using composting toilets, a rafted reed bed grey water management system, source separated waste streams, composting, the use of low-impact cleaning products, using reclaimed materials for event décor, and a container return system for all drink containers and cups.
Workshops and knowledge sharing sessions were held, examining the stories of the land, bush foods, medicines and culture of Australia's indigenous people.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the festival featured elements of Australian indigenous rituals, which are aimed at acknowledging the spirits of the land.
For young teens aged 13 to 17, the Chillout Lounge featured workshops on song writing, body percussion, cartooning, fashion and jewellery making.
The Peats Ridge Festival featured a dedicated area for arts and theatre, called SideWays Alley, located along the riverfront.
A main feature was the Bohemian Love Theatre, which was described as "a barefoot velvet vaudeville club, boho glam rock ‘n roll circus, a bohemian absinthe den, and lost-in-tie faerie tale speakeasy dream world,"[23] and featureg a number of comedy, dance, circus, cabaret and musical acts.
The backyard of the Bohemian Love Theatre is the Avant Garden is a space for painting, organic wine and Sangria and enjoying the surroundings.