FARMFEST 2011

AUGUST 11-14

NO PETS PLEASE...PRETTY PLEASE....NO PETS...OKAY?

Year number 14!

Farmfest 2011 is bound to be another record breaking year. SO many Michigan musicians are finding sponsors. Get your tickets before June 1st via snail mail. We are still the best bang for your buck when it comes to Michigan festivals. $50 for your weekend pass. This includes camping. $65 if you get them at the gate. Volunteers get in for free. If you come to the gate and want to volunteer, you are required to pay the full amount, work your two 4-hour shifts sometime throughout the weekend...THEN get refunded. Volunteers are welcome to come set up camp on Wednesday. Contact Linda Houle at www.bousada@charter.net

DID WE MENTION PETS? PLEASE NO NO NO PETS ! PLEASE !

Please help us support Michigan artists! YOU (yes YOU) might consider becoming a sponsor. Without our sponsors and our volunteers Farmfest would be a memory. There are many bands without sponsors and we would love to help them keep the music alive. They can't do that if they don't get paid folks. We need you...they need you...we need each other. Please call 989-619-3333. Sponsors receive weekend passes, an ad in the program, listings on this website, back stage access before and after your band's performance AND authority to announce your band prior to playing. It's a sweet gig....consider it.

AND NO PETS....We try really hard to get the NO PETS rule out there, but they come anyway...every year. PLEASE don't bring your pets.

DIRECTIONS TO THE FARM

WARNING - Do not use a GPS system. It will take you over the rivers and through two tracks. Trust us.

From the West - Take all roads to Gaylord, Michigan. Go East on M-32 about 15 miles to Johannesburg....keep going another few miles to Vienna. Turn left (North) onto Meridian Line Road. Travel about four miles to the third road on the right...Roby Road. Turn right (East). The farm is about 1/4 mile down the road.

From the East - Take M-32 to Vienna (about 12 miles beyond Atlanta). Turn right onto Meridian Line Rd. Roby road is the third road on the right about 4 miles. Turn right (East). The farm is down the road a piece. Can't miss it.

FARMFEST - 14th annual

Farmfest is a four-day traditional music festival. Mooosical Magic happens at Farmfest...it's a musician's playground. Gates open on Thursday. Main stage music begins on Friday. Drum Kiva, Fire Circle Jams, Dance Pavilion Events, Parkin' Lot Pickin', Candle Light Labryinth Walk, 2nd Stage Open Mic, Blow-Your-Face-Off Harmonica Contest, Kids-Kids-Kids Stuff!, Workshops, Great Food, Sacred Land.

Till the cows come home! ...(and there ain't no cows folks)

Admission to Farmfest 2011 - $65 per person suggested for full event but not required. Daily fee which is $25.00 (Ages 12 and under admission free.) This is the best deal for Michigan Festivals 2011 BY FAR!

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. Give from the heart and watch another year unfold into the wonder-filled event we have grown to love.

Vendors are welcome. We ask that all craft and art vendors choose a location in Vendor Village in the pines or near the entrance to the pines. We will find a site for all craft and art vendors that arrive. Vendors are asked to contact Willow at www.akafeta@aol.com for reservations.

(Food vendors...we are booked for 2011..sorry.)

Farmfest 2011 - Utterly Mooagical

Come Early - Stay Late - Bring friends

Hugs to All

Stacy Jo

THE LINE UP

Music here - Music there - Music Music EVERYWHERE

Main Stage - Dance Pavilion - Feed Bag Cafe - 2nd Stage - Labyrinth - Drum Kiva - Fire Circle in the Woods - Silo Fire Circle - Workshops - Kids Area, Main Gate AND Deer Blind Info Booth

Check out the program when you arrive to see who is where when. There are just too many details and not enough time to put up the full schedule of event.

2011 Performers ~

(STAY TUNED FOR CHANGES. This schedule is changing everyday. Look for DETAILS AND LINKS..WEB WORK IS NOT EASY FOR THE FARMFEST GAL...GEECH!)

THURSDAY Night at the Dance Pavilion

7:00 PM - Amelia Jo

9:00 PM - Seize the Carp

FRIDAY Main Stage

4:20 PM - The Leftover Hippies

5:30 - Dragon Wagon

6:40 PM - The Old Foresters

7:50 PM - The Blue Water Ramblers

9:00 PM - Rootstand

10:20 - Galactic Sherpas

FRIDAY Dance Pavilion

4:00 PM - Pamella Chappell

5:00 PM - Benny Bell

6:20 PM - Glean Infusion

7:40 PM - The Midnight Cattle Callers

9:00 PM - The Jake Allen Band

11:00 PM - K Jones and the Benzie Playboyz

SATURDAY Main Stage

10:00 AM - Open Mic hosted by Kirby

11:20 AM - La Compagnie

12:40 PM - The Turnips

2:00 PM - The Jake Allen Band

3:20 PM - Magdalen Fussum

4:40 PM - K Jones & the Benzie Playboz

6:00 PM The Naughty Neighbors

7:20 PM - Drew Nelson with Mark Schrock

8:40 PM - Nervous but Excited

10:00 PM - Who Hit John

SATURDAY Dance Pavilion

9:00 AM - Joe Kidd & The Sedition World Orchestra

10:20 AM - String Cheese

11:40 PM - Galactic Sherpas

1:00 PM - La Compagnie

2:20 PM - Who Hit John

4:00 PM - Drew Nelson w/Mark Schrock

5:20 PM - Blue Dirt

6:40 PM - Benny Bell

8:00 PM - Family Contra Dance w/Jan Fowler

9:20 PM - Dragon Wagon

10:40 PM - K Jones and the Benzie Playboyz

SUNDAY Main Stage

10:00 AM - Soul Patch

11:20 AM - Parkin Lot Pickers with Ron Fowler

12:40 AM - The Midnight Cattle Callers

2:00 PM - Glean Infusion

3:20 PM - Blue Dirt

4:40 PM - String Cheese

6:00 PM - Nicholas James and the Bandwagon

7:20 PM - Stella

8:40 PM - Starlight Six

SUNDAY Dance Pavilion

9:00 AM - Medicine Crow

10:20 AM - MEGAskyfish

12:00 - Waltz Workshop with Wild Bill

1:20 PM - Nervous But Excited

2:40 PM - Stella

4:00 PM - Soul Patch

5:20 PM - The Naughty Neighbors

6:40 PM - Rootstand

9:30 PM - Audible

THE FEEDBAG CAFE` AND PUB

Friday late night - Natural Reaction

Saturday late night - Mike Rosteck and a medley of bands. Be sure to check it out!

Saturday morning Breakfast - The Wild Uke Band

Sunday morning Breakfast - The Turnips

TWEENERS all weekend - Hosted by Medicine Crow! (The Would Man - Medicine Crow - Left Over Hippies - Benny Bell - Michael Boushea - The Hand Me Downs - Pamella Chappell - MEGAskyfish - The Hand Me Downs - Magdalen Fossum)

THE DEER BLIND IN THE WOODS

Friday afternoon - MEGAskyfish

Saturday afternoon - Wild Uke String Band

Late night Saturday - M.E. Minus Everyone

Sunday afternoon -

THE MAIN GATE STAGE

Thursday

6:00 PM -The Grass Kickers

Friday

noon - The Would Man

2:30 PM - Wild Uke String Band

5:00 PM - Mike Rosteck

7:30 PM - Leftover Hippies

Saturday

noon - Jason Eller

2:30 PM -Amelia Jo

5:00 PM - Benny Bell

Sunday

Noon - Leftover Hippies

2:30 PM - Wild Uke String Band

5:00 PM - The Hand Me Downs

THE KIDS STAGE & Workshops

schedule tba: MEGAskyfish

Magdalen Fossum

The Hand Me Downs

The Traveling Horsemen

Pamella Chappell

About Us

Farmfest was born in 1998. 2011 is our 14th Festival. It is hosted by Stacy Jo Schiller who owns the farm and her partner Barton Briley. The mission of Farmfest is to support the performing arts while blending nature and music.

About Farmfest

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. Plan on providing your own meals OR bring a dish to pass for the evening meal.

This is a great day to select your camp site and settle in. Fire circle jam sessions, campground pickin' parties and drumming at the kiva are popular activities on Thursday night. Help fine tune the place if you would like to lend a hand.

Friday - Sunday....Farmfest Magic!

Farmfest is known for its support of our amazing Michigan artists.

Venue

The Farmfest venue is located on a 109 yr old 40-acre homestead farm that has been transformed into a beautiful northern Michigan festival sited a short distance east of the small rural town of Johannesburg. It literally sits on the 45th parallel and the meridian of the earth.

The land is mostly wooded with beautiful walking trails that wind through rolling terrain some cleared and some old growth hardwood.

A Google satellite map provides an overview of the venue and allows you to scale the map and get directions to Farm-Fest.

A natural amphitheater serves the main stage and has the best sound on the planet! Walk the labyrinth, set up your chairs and blankets or hang a hammock from the trees. Whatever you choose, get ready for some down-home, talented artists. The main stage music starts on Friday evening at 5:00 pm and ends on Sunday night at 11:00 pm.

Arts and crafts vendors border the amphitheater and are peppered throughout a grove of blue spruce pines. You'll find quilts and jewelry, drums and soap, leather and tie-dye clothing, paintings and pottery and lots more goodies you will want to take home with you. You will also find some happy friendly folks...our vendors are pretty special.

The kids area is a hot spot these days. Lots of activities and fun is to had by all at the kids area. Talent show, sand castles, playground equipment, face painting, crafts, open mic-less stage, instrument making, big hay bale climbing and much much more. If you are a kid...you won't be bored and you won't have any TV or video games either.

In the woods you will find 2nd stage. This is an open stage. Just sign up and play. Better get there early because the sign up situation is a first come thing. Some of the best music has been born on this stage over the years. It's a magical place. You'll also find the fire circle where jam sessions, workshops and story telling take place in abound. Deeper into the woods is the drum kiva. The kiva is a popular place for the wild and earthy ones with drums. If you don't have a drum, you will want to go and experience the sound. It is mesmerizing.

Most festival attendees spend the entire weekend at the farm. RVs and tents fill the large meadow and many camp in the woods south of the meadow. There are many who simply come for one day or commute from local hotels or cabins. It's up to you. Anyway, anyhow you choose you will have a great time.

Many performing groups also camp the entire weekend and love to jam. Impromptu bands form and re-form throughout the weekend. Musical magic happens at campground pickin' parties. Just walk right up and sit right down. All campground jam sessions are open for all to enjoy.

Farmfest limits the number of attendees to 2000. Because of it's small size this festival is safe for the youngsters and user friendly for the elderly while maintaining that old style feeling of festivals of the past. Handicap camping is available with golf cart courtesy and helper folks at your service.