The 8th Festy Experience Announces Daily Schedule, Single Day Tickets, Kids Activities

The 8th Annual Festy Experience Announces Daily Schedule!
The Infamous Stringdusters, Ani DiFranco, Drive-By Truckers, Elephant Revival, Sam Bush Band, Beats Antique, The Jerry Douglas Band, Joan Osborne, The Travelin’ McCourys, and more!

Thursday-Sunday, October 5 – October 8, 2017 at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, VA

Full weekend and Single Day Tickets On Sale Now → www.thefesty.com

Charlottesville, VA —   The 8th Annual Festy Experience takes place October 5-8, 2017 in the Blue Ridge Bowl at Infinity Downs Farm, a 387-acre property in Arrington, Virginia (also the new home of LOCKN’ Festival) at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Festy aims to give the ultimate laid back festival experience which is fun for the entire family: camping, outdoor activities, craft food and beer, daily yoga, the 22nd Annual Blue Ridge Burn (5k/10k), and stellar music! This year’s lineup includes The Infamous Stringdusters, Ani DiFranco, Drive-By Truckers, Elephant Revival, Sam Bush Band, Beats Antique, The Jerry Douglas Band, Joan Osborne, and lots more.

The Festy Experience is thrilled to announced the daily schedule of music for the Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage and the Skyline Tent Stage, with no overlapping sets between the two stages! Head on over to the newly revamped website to check it out.

Thursday brings the full moon and sees host band The Infamous Stringdusters close out the evening out on the Skyline Tent Stage just following Beats Antique’s set on Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage. Others performing on Thursday include Danny Barnes & Nick Forster, Sierra Hull, and Gallatin Canyon.

Sam Bush Band closes out Friday night the Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage, following early evening performances by The Infamous Stringdusters and Della Mae. EmiSunshine & Friends have an afternoon set on the Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage and Emi is the MC host for that stage the entire weekend. Cabinet will rock out the late night set on the Skyline Tent Stage and other Friday performers on the stage include Carl Anderson and Erin Lunsford.

Saturday is packed with performances including Drive-By Truckers, Ani DiFranco, and Elephant Revival on the Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage. That day, Skyline Tent Stage features The Travelin McCourys, Sarah Siskind & Sunliner, Phoebe Hunt & The Gatherers, and Maggie Koerner. There’s also a Kids Parade and Jam at 11:30am.

Sunday sets on the Blue Ridge Outdoors Stage include The Jerry Douglas Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan. The stage kicks off with the Garrettgrass Gospel Hour that morning (featuring Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters and EmiSunshine, as well as members of Shook Twins, Elephant Revival, and more.) Sunday Skyline Tent Stage performances include Shook Twins, Billy Strings, Love Canon, and Dori Freeman.

Family fun is key throughout the Festy all weekend long; along with a family camping area, there will be a large kids area, a teen zone, a kids instrument making workshop, as well as other family activities. Kids activities in the Little Planets Kids Zone will include Children’s Jams, Magic Shows, Balloon Animals & Bubble Making, Kids Drum & Didgeridoo Workshops w/ Jim Gagnon, Costume Making for the Kid’s Parade on Saturday and more!

Notably, half of the lineup consists of female artists, The Festy Experience Director Michael Allenby says, “We recognize that the previous version of the music industry is hurting and can not invest in artists and progress their careers. It is now the promoter’s job to evolve the industry and we believe that gender equality is a critical issue. Other industries often claim that gender inequality is a ‘pipeline issue’ that will take a long time to evolve; however, there’s no shortage of amazing female artists and performers. The marketing of this talent happens AT festivals… not just FOR festivals… we are challenging promoters to make social progress a priority in all aspects of large-scale community gatherings.”

Tickets are on sale now and there are plenty of options including Weekend Camping, Car Camping, Family Camping, RV (powered or non-powered options), Individual Day, and Weekend-Day Passes with addition parking fees added on depending on your needs. Kids under 12 are free and there are special rates for teens (13-17). All Weekend Access Tickets include Thursday Arrival (making it 4 days total over Columbus Day weekend). Single Day tickets are also available now. Get your tickets now a pricing increases on September 5th!

To help in sustainability efforts to eliminate all waste from single-use plastic cups, every All Weekend ticket comes with a free commemorative steel pint cup from The Festy’s Partner, Klean Kanteen, which they can use for free water from filling stations placed throughout site as well as beer purchases.

Lodging Upgrades are also available offering all the fun, with none of the hassle. See the website for more information on The High Country Village and The Show Sherpa packages which range from reserving an RV or Yurt (along with other perks including power, showers, flushable toilets, morning coffee, and more) to having a campsite set up and ready to go for you to on site.

Thursday is “Free Nelson County Day.” Stay tuned for information on how Nelson County residents can pick up tickets.

If you have any questions please contact us at info@theartistfarm.com or 434-220-4000.
More information can also be found at www.thefesty.com.

The Festy Experience ~ Full 2017 Lineup:
The Infamous Stringdusters
Ani DiFranco
Drive-By Truckers
Elephant Revival
Sam Bush Band
Beats Antique
The Jerry Douglas Band
Joan Osborne
The Travelin’ McCourys
Sierra Hull
Danny Barnes & Nick Forster
EmiSunshine
Garrettgrass Gospel Hour
Della Mae
Cabinet
Shook Twins
Billy Strings
Sarah Siskind & Sunliner
Carl Anderson
Phoebe Hunt & The Gatherers
Love Canon
Maggie Koerner
Dori Freeman
Erin Lunsford
Gallatin Canyon
Tara Mills

Location: Blue Ridge Bowl at Infinity Downs Farm
1510 Diggs Mountain Road
Arrington, VA 22922

Infinity Downs Farm is conveniently located just 35 miles south of Charlottesville and 30 miles north of Lynchburg, (it is also the site of LOCKN’ Festival). The property features outdoor amphitheaters, open fields, campgrounds, hiking, and over 7 miles of biking trails. Stay tuned for more information about outdoor activities and workshops.

Tickets, more information, and updates at www.TheFesty.com,
www.twitter.com/thefesty, www.facebook.com/thefesty, and www.instagram.com/thefestyexperience

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The 8th Festy Experience Adds Ani DiFranco, Elephant Revival, Beats Antique, Joan Osborne, Sierra Hull, and more!

The 8th Annual Festy Experience Announces Additions of
Ani DiFranco, Elephant Revival, Beats Antique, Joan Osborne, Sierra Hull, & More

Thursday-Sunday, October 5 – October 8, 2017
at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, VA

Tickets are on-sale now at
www.thefesty.com

Charlottesville, VA — The Festy Experience is excited to announce the second round of its music lineup for the 8th annual festival, happening October 5-8, 2017 in the Blue Ridge Bowl at Infinity Downs Farm, a 387-acre property in Arrington, Virginia at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lineup comprises a carefully curated blend of national and local roots music acts and additions include Ani DiFranco, Elephant Revival, Beats Antique, Joan Osborne, Sierra Hull, EmiSunshine, Della Mae, Shook Twins, Sarah Siskind & Sunliner, Phoebe Hunt, Maggie Koerner, Dori Freeman, Erin Lunsford, and Tara Mills. Danny Barnes, Nick Forster, and Gallatin Canyon have also been recently added!

Other performers already announced include The Infamous Stringdusters, Drive-By Truckers, Sam Bush Band, The Travelin’ McCourys, The Jerry Douglas Band, Cabinet, Billy Strings, Love Canon, Carl Anderson, and The 8th Annual Garrettgrass Gospel Hour.

With half of the lineup consisting of female artists, The Festy Experience Director Michael Allenby says, “We recognize that the previous version of the music industry is hurting and can not invest in artists and progress their careers. It is now the promoter’s job to evolve the industry and we believe that gender equality is a critical issue. Other industries often claim that gender inequality is a ‘pipeline issue’ that will take a long time to evolve; however, there’s no shortage of amazing female artists and performers. The marketing of this talent happens AT festivals… not just FOR festivals.

“The fact that the first half of this year’s Festy lineup was ALL MEN went surprisingly unnoticed by most.” Allenby continues, “We see unbalanced programming too often and wanted to do something to draw attention to the issue. It’s one of many progressive changes that The Festy intends to roll out over the coming years and we are challenging promoters to make social progress a priority in all aspects of large-scale community gatherings.”

Throughout the event’s year history, The Festy Experience team has worked hard to produce a diverse festival experience that illustrates its core values: a love of craft food & beer (they will be offering a variety of Virginia’s award winning craft beer), appreciation for the outdoors, and stellar music. A family-friendly atmosphere is key; along with a family camping area, there will be a large kids area, a teen zone, special programming, a kids instrument making workshop, as well as other family activities. Of course they’ll still have an amazing yoga program, plus the 22nd Annual Blue Ridge Burn (5k/10k)!

Environmental sustainability is important to the organizers and they are eliminating all waste from single-use plastic cups. Instead every All Weekend ticket comes with a free commemorative steel pint cup from The Festy’s Partner, Klean Kanteen, which they can use for free water from filling stations placed throughout site as well as beer purchases.

The Festy Experience started in 2009 and is a partnership between Allenby’s Virginia-based company, The Artist Farm and The Infamous Stringdusters and it offers more than music. This will be The Festy Experience’s second year at Infinity Downs Farm, which is conveniently located just 35 miles south of Charlottesville and 30 miles north of Lynchburg, adjacent to the site of LOCKN’ Festival. The property features outdoor amphitheaters, open fields, campgrounds, hiking, and over 7 miles of biking trails. Stay tuned for more information about outdoor activities and workshops.

If you have any questions please contact us at info@theartistfarm.com or 434-220-4000.
More information can also be found at www.thefesty.com.

Location: Blue Ridge Bowl at Infinity Downs Farm
1510 Diggs Mountain Road
Arrington, VA 22922

Tickets and Lodging Upgrade Options:

Tickets are on sale now and there are plenty of options including Weekend Camping, Car Camping, Family Camping, RV (powered or non-powered options), Individual Day, and Weekend-Day Passes with addition parking fees added on depending on your needs. Kids under 12 are free and there are special rates for teens (13-17).

All Weekend Access Tickets also Thursday Arrival (making it 4 days total over Columbus Day weekend). This is made possible because of a grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC/  Virginia Is For Music Lovers) who recently awarded sponsorships to 32 Virginia music festivals, including The Festy Experience.

The Festy Experience is thrilled to announce Lodging Upgrades. The Show Sherpa Village offers all the fun, with none of the hassle. The Show Sherpa will provide the gear you need (Tents, Camping Cots, Lanterns, Camping Chairs), set up your campsite, and brew you coffee each morning!

The High Country Village provides many of the comforts and conveniences of a Hotel but with the full Festy Experience of camping on-site for the weekend. Set in a premium location, The THC Village has three lodging options: Deluxe Hideout RV, Deluxe Solid Ground Shelters (with Queen and Twin Sized Beds), Standard Solid Ground Shelters (with Camping Cots). Each option includes a breakfast & coffee bar, daily Happy Hour, a large covered lounge, a fire pit, power, free showers, and last but not least, flushable toilets.

Tickets, more information, and updates at www.TheFesty.com,
www.twitter.com/thefesty, www.facebook.com/thefesty, and www.instagram.com/thefestyexperience

 

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Kellin Watson Celebrates the Release of New Album “Halo Of Blue” At Pisgah Brewing on July 2nd

Kellin Watson
CD RELEASE PARTY
Pisgah Brewing
Saturday, July 2, 2011

ADV: $10/d.o.s.: $12

Doors: 7PM/ Show:8PM

(828) 669-0190
150 Eastside Drive
Black Mountain, NC 28711
http://pisgahbrewing.com

Kellin Watson is a internationally-touring singer-songwriter, whose award-winning sound blends elements of blues, pop, folk, and soul. Hailing from Asheville, NC, Kellin draws on herAppalachian roots to bring both power and rawness to her music. “There are a lot of common talents in the world, but there are very few rare talents. I feel that Kellin is a rare, uncommon talent. Her songs have the ability to take someone gently by the wrist and tell them a story…”  states Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins. Courtney Devores with The Charlotte Observer describes her, “Jazzy soul and swinging pop comparable to Fiona Apple or a less folksy Ani DiFranco, Watson has an endearing stage demeanor and a killer voice, not to mention soulful songs that don’t fit in any particular box.”

Kellin will be releasing her new album, “Halo of Blue” of July 2, 2011 at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC. There will be activities going on as soon as doors open at 7pm and possibly a surprise guest opener, so people are encouraged to come early. Also door prizes will be given away! Admission is $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. Anyone who brings a functioning musical instrument to donate to Operation Happy Note and Operation Music Aid will receive half off their admission price! The requirements for instruments are “new or gently used guitars,violins, mandolins, banjos, keyboards, horns of any kind harmonicas and we even get requests for bagpipes.”

“Halo Of Blue” was created with musician/producer Michael Bellar [Art Garfunkle, and Amos Lee] out of Manhattan, NY and was recorded in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Asheville. Kellin and Michael worked non-stop this past year to put out a simple, honest and stripped down recording with echoes of some of her strongest influences: Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Nina Simone. The album has 14 tracks and features cameo’s from some of the greatest musicians and vocalist in North America, including Sarah and Christian Dugas (The Duhks), and Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers).

Part of the album was recorded in Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studios. “The thing I love about recording at Echo Mountain is the fact that they are prepared for anything you might need,” Watson says in an interview with Jon Elliston in Our State Magazine.  “All the engineers and staff make you feel at home and comfortable, which helps you focus on what you’re really there to do: create. Not to mention that it’s a world-class studio in my own backyard — to be able to work in a studio of that quality, right here in Asheville, is amazing.”

Elliston goes on to write, “On the new album’s title track, Watson’s band recorded lilting pedal steel guitar parts in one of the studio’s smaller rooms; the guitar offers a delicate complement to Watson’s forceful vocals. The two songs recorded in the “church” studio — the gospel-tinged “Rise” and a smoky, brooding cover of “Sitting on Top of the World” — showcase Watson’s range and confidence. She sounds every bit the singer in her comfort zone, content with recording close to home.

Kellin has toured nationally and internationally playing some of the most renowned venues, festivals, events, colleges and universities in the US and Canada, and continues to do so. Playing music and writing songs for the past 16 years, Kellin has released 4 solo independent albums. Her performance stands out as well; Stan of LiveLimeLight.com wrote in a live show review “I was immediately intrigued by her playing style, with percussive hits, finger picking and then strumming, she knows how to use her guitar to its fullest… she filled the room with just the sound of her guitar and voice.”

Here is a nice video of her performing a songs off the new album:

Kellin has also been a featured performer on CMT’s Big Break with award winning host and artists Sara Evans stating, “Kellin is a singing beauty, with an amazing voice. There is nothing fake or contrived about her when she performs, she’s just really, really talented, and sings with soul. I love everything about her…” In addition to her CMT appearance, two of Kellin’s songs, “Ship” and “When Is Enough Enough”, touched millions after being aired on two separate episodes of the hugely popular Canadian teen drama, Dregrassi: The Next Generation. This past march, she was asked to play a supporting role in Sag film “Trinity Goodheart” and the director loved one of the tunes on Kellin’s new album and decided to use the song in the film. Here’s a link to the imdb page for it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1849899/.

Kellin has worked with and/ or opened for a wide range of notable artists such as Amos Lee, Little Feat, Susan Tedeschi, The Duhks, Crash Test Dummies, Jessica Simpson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sara Evans, Walter Wolfman Washington, Gordie Sampson, members of Band of Horses, and several others.  In the words of NPR’s David Dye, Kellin is  “a great new artist to keep an ear out for.”  Filmmaker Richard O’Sullivan (The Lost Colony) goes on to state, “There’s such beauty and intelligence in her work that you rarely find from someone that young. She’s the type of artist that in twenty years people will be talking about in the same way they talk about the Bob Dylans and the Joni Mitchells now.”

Find Kellin on the web:

Homepage: www.kellinwatson.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kellinwatson
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/kellinwatson
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/jrPd7A
Myspace: www.myspace.com/kellinwatson
Youtube: http://bit.ly/igkEnC
Evolution Licensing Company Catalog: http://bit.ly/iCFtX9
Itunes: http://bit.ly/m7JQCt
CDbaby: http://cdbaby.com/all/kellin

“Her husky voice flows up and down the staff, accompanied by catchy beats, and the result sounds quite eclectic. ” – VERVE Magazine

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