BELLOWS FALLS — The lineup for the 12th annual Roots on the River Music Festival is now set, and concertgoers will find this year's four-days of entertainment filled with old favorites and new faces alike.
The festival of great roots music will be held June 9 through 12 at eight locations throughout Bellows Falls this year, with nearly two dozen performances scheduled, including headliner Fred Eaglesmith and his band, newcomer Todd Snider, and popular artist James McMurtry, returning for his third appearance.
“Who knew the staying power this little musical gem would have when Charlie Hunter had this idea that if he invited Fred Eaglesmith to come hang out in Bellows Falls for a weekend, some diehard Fredheads might show up,” Ray Massucco, Vermont Festivals LLC producer, said. “Well, they came in 2000, and they are still coming - now from Europe, all over Canada, and across the USA to spend four days in a little village along the beautiful Connecticut River that time has mostly passed by.”
Kicking off the festival, a new feature this year will be the Thursday's Regional Artists' Night at 33 Bridge St., one of the historic paper mill buildings located, most appropriately, right on the river. The show will feature local favorites Rusty Belle, Pete Weiss and the Weisstronauts, and JATOBA.
“We have a new stage, and lots of floor space to get your dance on,” Massucco said. “Judging by early ticket sales, this show will be sold out by show time, so don't wait until the last minute to get yours.”
On Friday, open-air shows will be held throughout the afternoon in the Square and later at the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market at the Depot. Performers include Patrick Fitzsimmons, Waylon Speed, Second Wind, Kim and Sharon, Fongster 100, and Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys.
Later in the evening, at the “big tent” at the Everyday Inn on Route 5, the performances will feature Jandee Lee Porter, McMurtry, and the much-anticipated first appearance for the weekend of Eaglesmith's band.
Saturday will see a full day and night of music under the big tent. Performers include Joe Gee, Roger Marin and his band, Tommy Womack, Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Audrey Auld, Snider, and Eaglesmith.
A swap tent of musical instruments and equipment is a popular feature of Saturday, as is the children's tent of games and activities throughout the afternoon so the young are occupied while the parents enjoy the show.
There is a wide variety of food and drink vendors on site, and the grounds are entirely smoke free, and family and pet friendly. Glass containers and coolers are not permitted on the grounds, and that with limited seating, most folk bring their own folding chair.
On Sunday, the festival winds down with an all-acoustic show at the historic Rockingham Meeting House. Chris O'Brien will open for Eaglesmith's last performance of the weekend. To continue the relaxed atmosphere of this event, there is ample time allotted for a picnic between performances on the Meeting House grounds.
“Some folks will come for an evening, some for a day and many for the entire festival,” Massucco said. “No matter who you came to see, we guarantee you will enjoy the music and have a great time.”
To purchase tickets, and for more information, go to the festival's website http://vermontfestivalsllc.com. Weekend and day tickets are also available at Village Square Books and Fat Franks in Bellows Falls, Misty Valley Books in Chester, Brattleboro Books, Pleasant Valley Brewing in Saxtons River, and Toadstool Books in Keene, N.H.