Magnolia Fest Early Bird Deadline is Tomorrow!

You can save $25 if you buy your Magnolia Fest (happens Oct. 20-23)  ticket before midnght tomorrow. Ticket deadline for $125 ends tomorrow. It goes up to $150 after that, and is $180 at the gate. Kids 12 and under are free.

The lineup for this wonderful camping fest at Spirit of the Suwanne Music Park in Live Oak, Fl. so far has moe., Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Seven Walkers,  Donna The Buffalo, Railroad Earth. not too shabby!

Also, don't forget The Farm To Family Full Moon Festival happening this weekend near Ginnie Springs (outside High Springs.) You won't find finer folk and they promise to have water misters, a slippy slide, and rides to the nearby springs to keep festers cool.

Fest Season in Full Spring Swing

Jonesin' for jams after returning from the glorious Wanee Festival at Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park last weekend? I hear ya!

You can keep the magic going without going too very far these next few months while the southern weather's still tolerable. Here, then, is a little update on some festies around the corner...

The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival happens in St. Augustine April 29-May 1. Folk singers Richard Thompson, Sam Pacetti, Pierce Pettis, and bluesman Bill Wharton "The Sauce Boss" headline. Tickets are $66.50 advance. This is not a camping festival, and shows take place at a variety of venues in downtown St. Augustine. You will have to find accommodations in St. Augustine or camp across the bridge at the wonderful Anastasia State Park or in one of the private campgrounds.

The String Break music festival happens April 29-May 1 at the Sertoma Youth Ranch in Dade City, Fla. (About a half-hour north of Tampa, near Brooksville.)  This little camping fest features Roots Rock, Alt Country, Newgrass & Bluegrass. Performers include Paul Thorn (Miss.), The Greencards (Nashville), The Chapmans , Rockin Acoustic Circus(AZ), Bearfoot (Alaska). This event has a very organized youth program and is a family friendly event. Tickets are $85 advance, $95 at the gate. Tickets for kids (up to 17!) are $20. They have great vendors, and the venue is small and intimate. You can buy electric camping upgrades.


The Purple Hatter's Ball happens at Spirit of the Suwanee May 13-15. Tickets are $45 advance, and $60 at the gate. This is a camping festival with vendors. The park is offering a deal for a golf cart and a cabin that can sleep 4 people for $400.

The Hangout Festival happens in Orange Beach, Alabama (near Pensacola) May 22-24 with a stellar lineup including Paul Simon, The Flaming Lips, The Black Keys, Widespread  Panic, and more. No camping on site, you have to book accommodations at Orange Beach. A 3-day pass is $174 advance. There are all sorts of extra ticket options, including shuttles, late-night shows, and lodging deals.

The jammy  Orange Blossom Jamboree happens at the wonderful Sertoma Youth Ranch near Brooksville, Fla. on May 21-23. Tickets are just $45, and that includes primitive camping. An electric site is an extra $40 but there's no limit on how many folks you can have on your site, as long as you can fit 'em all.

festgrrl fave the Acoustic Cafe happens Memorial Day weekend north of Birmingham, Alabama May 27-28. Check out one of my previous posts on this gem of a fest from last year. This is a bit of a drive for us Floridians, but you will not be disappointed if you dig string music and mind-bending interpretations of bluegrass. Marcia Ball joins the pickers this year, along with Dread Clampitt and lots of others. Tickets are $50 advance, $60 at the gate. This fest is family friendly camping festival and very intimate. Not a lot of vendors, so bring a stocked cooler.


The state-run Florida Folk Festival happens  May 27-May 29 at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park along the Suwannee River in White Springs, Fl. No camping here, unless you are an official volunteer who has signed up beforehand. A weekend pass is $40 and kids (up to age 16!) cost just $4.

The kinda-monthly Farm To Family Full Moon Festival  takes place June 10-12 outside Gainesville near  beautiful Ginnie Springs. The price is right -- $20 advance, $25 at the gate. Family friendly, small, with a single stage and super kind folks.

And, of course, there's the big daddy fest of them of 'em all, The  New Orleans Jazz  and Heritage Festival, April 29-May 8, with Everyone In The World playing. This is not a camping festival. Advance tickets are $45 a weekend, $60 at the gate. Kids under 10 are $5. No lineup (or food choices) anywhere compares, but be prepared for heat and big, big crowds.

Full Moon Festival This Weekend near Gainesville!

Just a reminder that the Farm to Family Full Moon Festival happens this weekend, March 18-20, outside Gainesville near Ginnie Springs. Such a lovely time to be had with fine folks for a mere $20 advance and $25 at the gate.

Read my previous festgrrl post about it and go if you can, you'll be glad you did!

Besides, you can do a little shakedown cruise for your camping gear to make sure you've got it together for Suwannee Springfest March 24-27!

Farm To Family Full Moon Fest Next Month!

The Farm To Family full moon gatherings outside Gainesville are just wonderful. You'll see great regional musicians, and the price -- $20 -- can't be beat. That includes primitive camping all weeekend. The next Full Moon Festival is set for the weekend of March 18-20. Acts haven't yet been announced.

festgrrl has been to several of these festivals but has not visited the new venue yet, which is near Ginnie Springs in Gilchrist County. I can tell you that in the past, there were clean porta-lets, and  a covered area in front of the stage with couches. You should bring your own chairs, etc.

The folks who come to Farm To Family are some of the nicest you'll meet, it is a chill atmosphere with one stage, and it is a nice place to bring kids. There are a few vendors (the infamous Grilled Cheese Wagon, for one) for food, but bring your own alcohol/water/drinks for sure. There is usually a nice community bonfire at night. What a wonderful way to spend a spring weekend!!

Full Moon Fest Returns!

The Farm To Family Full Moon Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday outside Gainesville near Ginnie Springs. This little low-cost fest is sweet and filled with wonderful folks and great roots music.

This festival has been on a long hiatus due to complaints from neighbors of too many cars and commotion on their dirt road. So they moved it to 120 acres in Gilchrist County. Camping is primitive, no hook ups, but plenty of room for cars, vans, tents, and the RV's . . . there are three camping areas. Back Stage Camping, Remote Camping, and Drum Circle Camping.

In past shows, the promoter has set up couches under and open-sided tent so it's like a living room. This fest is family friendly and there's usually a big bonfire and drum circle. And, of course, it's under the full moon!


The excellent, steppy Gainesville world music band 3rd Stone headlines Saturday night. Tickets are a mere $23 for the weekend, $12 for a day pass. Gates open at 11 a.m. and show starts at 2 p.m. Saturday and goes through Sunday at 6 p.m. A nice, chill way to spend a gorgeous fall weekend.

A Stellar Time Was Had

I just can't say enough good things about the Farm To Family Full Moon Fest. This one was held at the Lion's Club in High Springs. Standouts were: Brian Smalley, a singer songwriter who is so very talented, he writes like a poet and sings like an angel; The Burnin' Smyrnin's, who mix up Eastern European folk riffs with jazz with ska with punk with rock.....ya gotta hear it!; Femi Kako, killer Afro Beat that had everyone up and dancing; jammy bands Absolute Free and Juniper Spring, both of them with tasty licks; and Boss Lady and the Company, a groovefest for all.

Third Stone, a reggae/funk band out of Gainesville, continues to amaze, with soaring vocals, great messages and an all around cool-as-shit groove.

The fest crowd was small and intimate. The Santa Fe river was within walking distance. I was told there were a bunch of happy hippies in the water in the wee hours under the full moon, singing Amazing Grace!

I can't tell you how many times strangers drove by my camp asking if I needed anything at the store. That's the "family" part, and it warms festgrrl's heart!

FULL MOON FEST!

What a nice Labor Day weekend treat! For just $20, 3 days of world beat, ska, jam, funk, and steppy bluegrass at the Farm To Family Full Moon Fest. This month it has a new location at the Lion's Club Music Park in the lovely old town of High Springs. African jams tonight, Friday, bands from noon-10:30 Sat., and noon to late night Sunday.

This is a bargain! And though festgrrl isn't so excited about this part, they will have big screen TVs to watch the Gators play... whoever they play.

But the music will be fine! Burnin' Smyrnans on Sunday night not to be missed. I'd describe them as a Klesmer punk band and they are definitely high energy and a lot of fun. Also, Boss Lady's funky reggae grooves are bound to please. 3rd Stone is an enormously talented reggae-ish band that shouldn't be missed. I also really like Brian Smalley, a singer-songwriter who will kick things off Sat. at noon.

This is a family-friendly event. Usually there are one or two food vendors and some excellent hippie wares to buy. People are super chill, and Don sets up a tent facing the stage to keep folks out of the sun. Just a lovely group, lovely tunes, and a beautiful weekend to enjoy it!

If you get too hot, you can always head over to the nearby Poe Springs and dip yourself in the Florida's cold, cobalt heart.

A Lovely Time at Full Moon Fest

The weekend crowd at the Farm to Family Full Moon Fest was pretty small, but the bands were smokin' and the vibe was sweet. It was HOT out there, y'all. Thanks to Don and the organizers for the misters and the generous shade tent.

Standout performances came from 3rd Stone, with fat and funky reggae grooves and killer vocals; The Duppies, kick-ass ska band that that got the crowd up and moving under the glorious moon, and Boss Lady and The Company,whith Boss Lady's strong and heartfelt vocals. The Glass Camels and Crazy Fingers laid it down with two super solid Dead sets late night on Friday and Saturday. Festgrrl also has to prop her fave band, who raged it as usual, Dread Clampitt

I am also loving the little acoustic duo The Bandits!

This was an inaugural show for the Farm to Family folks OFF their usual location, and it was an expanded three-day fest. Since turnout was kind of low, they cut things short on Sunday and asked people for donations to help pay the bands.

I kind of missed the smaller venue, to be honest. Next month it's back to the old farmstead, I'll post the date when I get it.

Farm To Family Fest

What a sweet little fest outside Gainesville! We went to Farm To Family on April 4 and just loved it. Great vibe and kind folks. We loved reggae band Regwa, Third Stone, Umoja Orchestra, Quarter Moon, the singer songwriters Michael O'Meara and Brian Smalley. I LOVED the little band, The Bandits. Such gorgeous harmonies!

This is a great fest to bring kids to. It is very small and has a family feel. It's $10 or $20, sliding scale. There's a little open-air food place, some cool vendors, and real bathrooms as well as port o lets. You can come in to camp at 1 pm Saturday, show starts at 3pm, and leave on Sunday.

DRIVE SLOWLY PLEASE ON THE ROAD.... we don't want to perturb the neighbors and wreck the scene, now, do we?

Check the website, where they post dates. And also, they have an excellent You Tube channel (linked on the site) so you can check out the bands that you'll be seeing.

After going to this fest once, festgrrl is sure going back!