Dear Farmfest community - past, present and future:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
FARMFEST 2009 - AUGUST 13-16
MOST ASKED QUESTION: PETS?
ANSWER: NO PETS PLEASE
Farmfest 08 was simply magicial! Loyal Farmfesters came and brought friends and spread the word....there were MANY first timers. The weather was perfect and so was the vibe. The change in dates from the 2nd weekend to the 3rd weekend in August was a good mooooove.
A HUGE thank you goes out to all the Volunteers! Kudos to the following coordinators: Daisy Blue at the main gate John Tubbs building the dance pavilion Joe Houle in parking Linda Houle with volunteers Houghton Lake Lenette with kids area Carol Briley in the Feed Bag Cafe` Robin Thill in the Pig Pen Postal John at Main Stage Ed Lefson and Ira MacDonald at 2nd Stage Bob Hamil in First Aid and Sound Assistance Gonzo as Emcee and Sound Assistance Kirby for Open Mic, emcee and fire circle jam Ron Fowler as emcee, ghost stories and parkin lot pickers Joe MacNeil and courtesy crew Jody Lee on Trash and recycle Johnny Dimples and Jess all around great help throughout the summer Theresa Wolf on fire tending BRANDON, recycle and trash - the rock of the Festival doing everything before, during and after....amazing guy! AND BARTON who does everything from electrical hook ups and building project and mechanic work and supplier of tools AND footing the bill needs when there is no money yet from the gate. A very good man! Of course there were countless others not mentioned by name here, who also deserve a great big 'atta boy or girl' for all the time and effort it takes to make a great festival great. Thank you ALL!
Even tho we did not hit our goal, donations were generous and we were able to pay ALL the bills AND give some of the main stage musicians gasoline mooola for their trip home. If we had met our goal we would have been able to give them $500 each....next year we'll get there!
SO...the line up for Farmfest 2009 will be booked on a first come basis. Sponsored bands come first, so think about sponsoring your favorite band. All bands submitted will be reviewed and final selection will be based on sponsorship, music style, and spirit of band members. We ask that all bands camp on site for the entire weekend unless they have other bookings and that they play one set on main stage and one set anywhere else they choose. (Dance pavilion, kids area, 2nd stage, drum kiva, fire circle in the woods, silo fire circle, feedbag cafe` etc.) Deadline for submission is December 1st, 2008.
Send your demo packet to "Farmfest / Stacy Jo 1865 Roby Road Johannesburg, MI 49751
There will be no tickets. Farmfest 09 will be by suggested donation again. PLEASE DONATE EARLY BY SNAIL MAIL IF YOU CAN. Make checks payable to 'Farmfest' 1865 Roby Road Johannesburg, MI 49751 A gate pass will be mailed which you can present to the gate staff when you arrive. It will be up to us to create another magical Farmfest...donations of time, food, talent and mooooola are very important to make this work. Give from the heart and watch another year unfold into the wonderfilled event we have grown to love.
Vendors are welcome. We will tighten this area up bit in 09. There were many complaints about the vendor who chose to vend on the pathway to the forest. So...in 09 we ask that all craft and art vendors choose a location in Vendor Village in the pines or near the entrance to the pines. Food vendors are asked to contact Stacy Jo at 989-786-3273 for reservations. There is room for six and we don't want to duplicate products.
Volunteers are needed. Please email us from the contact page and let us know you are interested.
Sponsor a Porta Potty. This was a fun addition to the festival. For a mere $70 you too can place your message and/or artwork on a potty. The porta potties will arrive on Thursday, and there is always one on site all summer.
Farmfest 09 - Mooooving into the Future!
Come Early - Stay Late - Bring friends.
Hugs to all
Stacy Jo
(As Farmfest 2009 artists are selected, they will be listed here along with links to their websites.)
It is our belief at Farmfest that "community", our connection with the land, and the music makers are the elements that make the Farmfest magic.
We are SO very proud to present the Music Makers for Farmfest 09!
The Main Stage Schedule
FRIDAY
5:00 PM
7:40
9:00
10:20
SATURDAY
10:00
11:20
12:40
2:00
3:20
4:40
6:00
7:20
8:40
10:00
SUNDAY
10:00
11:20
12:40
2:00
3:20
4:40
6:00
7:20
8:40
10:00
These were the 2008 music makers! Check out their links and find out where they are playing next. Support Farmfest artists whenever you can.
Seth and Daisy May The sweethearts of folk! Farmfest simply isn't Farmfest without Seth and Daisy May. Period!
Kirby, From Harbor Spring, Kirby has been with Farmfest since it's beginning. He hosts our open mic segment on Saturday and jams out at the Fire circle on Saturday night. Big fun.
Ron Fowler, Also a Farmfest Tradition, our story teller extrodinare spooks us and our children at the Ghost story time on Saturday night.
The Blue Water Ramblers, Farmfest opening act each year are our beloved Blue Water Ramblers. You'll hear them in the campground till wee hours too. Welcome back BWR!
Airborne or Aquatic...Back by popular demand as they say...Acoustic creations is how I describe this sound. Seth and all the talented young folks that make up this band are truly amazing Farmfest familiy members.
The Ragbirds...they played Farmfest for the first time in 07 and are back by demand! We are thrilled you loved them as much as we did.
Orpheum Bell...From Lansing and new to the Farmfest stage. Orpheum Bell will mezmorize you with their unique sound and will get you on your feet dancin`! Accordion, banjo, guitar, fiddle, clarinet saw, autoharp and double bass. Friday night is going to be VERY special this year.
Well Fed Kids...Mud Bugs meets Green Sky....Yep, a new sound from GREAT talented high energy guys! You are going to want to get your chairs to the stage early to check them out...FOR SURE!
Winter Sessions...New to Farmfest this year. Great spirited folks with a great spirited talent!
Medicine Crow..Now here's a guy who is no stranger to Michigan Folk festivals. His down home style and insightful lyrics will warm your soul and give you strength to walk your talk!
The Sass AND February Sky...will be performing for the first time. Spunky and full of traditional folk styles. You will love the candid lyrics, vocal harmonies and fresh air feeling.
Blue Lakes Fine Arts ...International Foreign Exchange Program and The City of Gaylord brings us a 41 piece BIG BAND from France this year! 41 PIECES Folks! Horns, Sax, drums, vocals, flute, clarinet, guitar, trombone....Whew! The sound crew can take a break and enjoy the show this set! Please welcome them at the community Pot Luck on Friday night at the Feedbag Cafe`.
Big Daddy Fox...Big Daddy won our Blues Challenge this year and represented us at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this year. Hot guitar and drivin` blues is Big Daddy's claim to fame.
If you like electric blues...you'll love Big Daddy!
Judy Insley...We first saw Judy at the NorEaster Festival last year. She is not only a great folk singer she is a sweet spirited woman with lots of amazing energy and insight. Be sure to welcome her with open arms to the Farmfest stage this year.
Annie & Rod Capps...'Folk Therapy" is the byline this amazing duo claims, which is exactly what we receive when they play. We are very excited to welcome to them to the Farmfest stage this year! Ya Hoo
Motor City Side Strokers...No stranger to the Farmfest stage, the Motor City Side Strokers will have us dancing and pickin and playin all night folks!
Glean Infusion...A new sound from some seasoned musicians. Good hearts, good sounds, great people! We are honored. Get your chairs and your coolers set up and be ready for a great time.
Scratch & Sniff... Spunky smart and sassy. Pull up a chair and get ready to be entertained!
Jake Allen...Jake comes to us from Grayling. This young talented young man and friends will blow you away. He has been traveling this year learning...growing...expanding...we can't wait to see how he transforms that into his amazing song writing and unique sound.
Pinky Lee...A super young duo from Petoskey. You may have heard them on Prairie Home Companion during the best artists in their 20's contest this year. They made us Northern Michigan folk very proud!
Mutual Kumquat...Now that's a name for ya! You will love the energy from these young talented musicians who keep that ole acoustic music alive blending an earthy activist message. You'll love em!
Bob Marshall...Watch for Bob. He'll be everywhere slinging his guitar and singing his stories.
Richard "Dogman" Peterson & the Alconites - Raspy drivin guitar slingin deep thinkin dude. The Alconites rock.
Farmfest was born in 1998. 2008 will be our 11th Festival. It is hosted by Stacy Jo who owns the farm. The mission of Farmfest is to support the performing arts while blending nature and music. Net proceeds are shared with the artists and are awarded to arts organizations that support the performing arts.
Starting Thursday, and ending Sunday, Farmfest is a four day family focused folk and traditional world music festival.
Volunteers are welcome to set up camp on Wednesday. In fact we encourage all volunteers to come in on Wednesday if you can. Get the best camp sites and check in with your coordinator. Bring a dish to pass for the evening meal.
Thursday's events are free. This is a great day to get your camp site and settle in. Fire circle jam sessions, campground pickin parities and drumming at the kiva are popular activities on Thursday night. There will be a polka party at the dance pavilion on Thursday night....and the fun begins.
Farmfest in known for it's support of Michigan artists. Occasionally we book a specialty from out of state or from abroad, but mostly we concentrate on the amazing Michigan talent bank. It must be those long winters that lend to the great numbers of super artists home grown right here in Michigan!
Farmfest 2008 Sponsors
EPCS Websites DSL - Serving Otsego and Crawford County businesses since 1994
Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp
Our buddy Joe MacNeil - Loyal Farmhand for many years
The Montmorency Tribune - Best little news paper in the North!
