Its my own humble opinion that smaller festivals tend to garner greater experiences. The sub-10,000 is a good number, keeping things intimate but also with some great festy-vibes if thats your thing. You know, dancing barefoot in mud and all that. New England and the fringes of it play host to some incredible festivals, some you have heard of for their deep, rich history and others may be lost on those not willing to dig a little deeper in the well to unearth treasures.
After attending my first and last Bonnaroo in 2004 I was on the search for something different. A place where I could see and find a host of new and exciting acts in one place, but without the overwhelming nature of something as big as those other festivals (even then the big B was fairly sizable in its infancy and not as friendly to a crowd not wanting to get down with the “Molly” and vibe out on such chill vibes maaaaaaan…and I think Coachella would be my own personal hell on earth). I found exactly what I was looking for in the Newport Folk Festival and even more of these “all audience” friendly fests that still play host to incredible artists began to unveil themselves to me. There are many more than these, of that I am sure, but these are a few fests of note that you all should be keeping an eye on.
One thing is for certain, being nearly the end of May the scent of fest grounds, food from food trucks, and 3 days of camping alongside other folks without showers is upon us. So get out your low profile lawn chairs and blankets and gear up for festival season.
Newport Folk Festival (July 22-24) has meant far more to me over the past 5 years than just a place I get to witness incredible music take place in a pristinely beautiful environment over the course of a weekend, it has felt like family since day 1. Unlike any other event, the folks behind the scenes at NFF has managed to create an ambiance at Fort Adams that blurs the line between fan, artist, and planning board. Everyone seems to be “in it” together at Newport and that is part of what makes it so incredibly special. You feel a part of “it” and not just a spectator. Its incredibly difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t been to Newport before, but those that have been know exactly what I am attempting to say. There is always a great mix of traditional folk and more acoustic music with rock n’ roll, blues, and bluegrass music at the Fort. There is something for everyone, the food and goods vendors are great, beer gardens for those who enjoy such things are on a pier where you can dip your feet in the water and the views of Newport harbor ain’t so bad either.
Artists we are excited for: Ryan Adams w/The Infamous String Dusters & Nicki Bluhm, Aoife O’ Donovan, Ian Fitzgerald w/Smith & Weeden, Hayes Carll, John Moreland, Margo Price, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Rayland Baxter, JP Harris…the list goes on and you can’t go wrong stumbling across any of the stages at NFF
Last year was our first year at FreshGrass Festival (September 16-18) our at Mass MoCa in North Adams and it instilled in us the need to get back to Western Mass in September every year. The fest caps off the nice weather festival season and is one of the final comfortable camping weekends of the year, so thats always an option. You won’t get tired of the music, but if you every did you can wander through the halls of the museum and take in some really incredible visual art…and of course happen across pop up performances from artists playing the festival as well. Imagine my surprise last year hearing music as I wandered into one of the vast halls and seeing a bluegrass outfit in the middle of a bunch of sculptures and paintings (immediately after I was standing next to a portrait of The Devil Make’s Three singer Pete Bernhard by Jason Elon Goodman and blindly said to the guy next to me “cool portrait”, to which he responded “yeah, right?”…the guy next to me was Pete Bernhard) . Pretty awesome stuff. FreshGrass remains small and family friendly too. As I walked towards the MainStage at Joe’s Field I was stopped by one of the festival planners, who knew exactly who I was and what publication I was from. It was a good feeling as a newcomer to the fest that the folks go far to make all the attendees feel comfortable and welcome.
Artists we are excited for: Glen Hansard, The Devil Makes Three, Sierra Hull, Mile Twelve, Mr. Sun, Aoife O’ Donovan, The Infamous Stringdusters, Ricky Skaggs
Ossipee Valley Music Festival (July 28-31) in Hiram, Maine…I feel like our coastal brethren doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for being a state breeding great music and musicians. Ossipee is great reminder that it is! The umbrella of this event also includes the string camp leading up to the festival the couple of days before it kicks off with some pretty phenomenal players as instructors (Joe Walsh, Brittany Haas, Isa Burke, Ellie Buckland, Jordan Tice, Lukas Pool…come on!). The fest also manages to remain incredibly cheap at only $135 for a 4 day pass…I mean, all these great acts for that price is a steal and a half. So get on over, get some lobster, and take in Ossipee Valley.
Artists we are excited for: Our Boston buds Lula Wiles and Twisted Pine, Sarah Jarosz, Mandolin Orange, Suitcase Junket, Darlingside, Brittany Haas & Jordan Tice, Joe Walsh, The Ghost of Paul Revere
The Bluegrass music. Grey Fox (July 14-17) is the premiere bluegrass centric fest up these ways. There is just as much picking and jamming from the audiences at their campsites and around the grounds as happens on stage. Its more of a full, all out experience than it is just a festival. Focused on families as well with Children’s performers, a Bluegrass academy for kids, workshops, dancing, and a whole host of other activities. Grey Fox’s tagline is “A Who’s Who of Bluegrass Music in the Catskill Mountains” and with good reason. The line up is and has been stacked with all the great pickers and singers and the location is a beaut. Another thing we love about Grey Fox is that they play host to up and comers as well as well established folks. Their Emerging Artist Showcase has seen its fair share of local New England bluegrassers and folks you’d just as well see down in the Cantab on a Tuesday…and heck, a few even make it to the big stage in years to come.
Artists we are excited for: The Stray Birds, Lonely Heartstring Band, The Wood Brothers, Del McCoury, Bela Fleck & Chris Thile…plus the inevitable on stage impromptu jams that will likely occur
Green River Music Fest (July 8-10) may break the 10k barrier by about 2,000 with an attendance of 12,000, but we still feel its worth the while to keep it here on this list. Slightly bigger size means slightly bigger names, but it still keeps a plentiful mix of genres and artists at different stages of their career. The festival also has a hot air balloon launch, I mean talk about your photo op. The festival celebrates 30 years this time around, which is a pretty big milestone as many of the artists who play it haven’t even been on earth that long. Last year saw the fest hosting a few of our favorite bigger acts in the Milk Carton Kids and Punch Brothers alongside local favs Twisted Pine and others. They seem to keep their finger on the pulse of whats going to be big the next year in an uncanny way. So, for the next big thing get on over to Greenfield, MA this summer for the fest.
Artists we are excited for: Shakey Graves, The Suffers, Margo Price, Leland Sundries, North Mississippi All Stars, Peter Wolf and more TBA
Roots on the River (June 2-5) is a smaller fest with a huge heart. So much so it continues to call back artists who reach that next step to play it year after year. Now, it may be one of the gems that you really haven’t heard much about, but you sure as heck should! The gent putting it all together, Ray Massucco, pours his whole heart into this festival and the shows throughout the year put on by Vermont Festivals presents and it really shows. ROTR is a homegrown fest and it maintains that vibe. The festival grounds are right behind the motel that Ray books up to house artists and festival goers. Bellows Falls is a beautiful town with a ton of charm, so take in some sites while you are around as well and support the local economy!
Artists we are excited for: The Ballroom Thieves with Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, Della Mae, The Steel Wheels, and Lula Wiles at the gospel hour
Others of note:
JP Music Festival: A festival for all featuring those who live in Jamaica Plain. “The festival is fully inclusive and will prove to be a vibrant celebration of the music which is so alive in Jamaica Plain.” The festival runs from 12pm – 7pm on two stages on September 10th this year. With food trucks and music for everyone, the festival is perfect for all ages, including children, Its like a block party with a local soundtrack that is killer.
Prescott Park Arts Festival: Not really a “festival” perhaps, in the sense that it is a series of shows over the course of the entire summer (which is even better, right?). The line up this season is RIDICULOUS. You can check the website for more details RIGHT HERE but does Chris Thile & Bela Fleck, Dawes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Josh Ritter, and Taj Mahal sound like a pretty good starting point for you? Yeah…get on that.