Hoxeyville's Homegrown Festival

Aug. 7, 2015

It's the little festival that could. Now entering its 12th year, the Hoxeyville Music Festival combines big-time regional touring musicians with some of the best local music that northern Michigan has to offer – and recognition is growing slowly, but surely.

SPORTS AND SOUNDS

We’ll get to the music in a minute, but first, let's look at one of Hoxeyville's other intriguing components: its location. The fest's secluded setting on 100 acres of farmland and hardwoods in the Manistee National Forest, coupled with its ability to pull in talent, is a potent combination.

Hoxeyville happens near the scenic Pine River, known both as a paddle sports mecca and a trout fishing destination. There’s also a network of mountain bike trails nearby. Name another festival where you can paddleboard, fish, bike and go to a concert all within minutes of each other?

"A few individuals and bands always put together canoe trips, and those often grow into a couple hundred people out on boats in the morning," explained Hoxeyville's founder and director Jake Robinson.

The combination of location and activities is so attractive to festivalgoers, they may have to rethink the 3,000-person attendance cap.

IT'S A CAMP-O-RAMA!

Camping is also a big part of this festival picture, adding a fun, Woodstock-like community element and allowing festivalgoers to move easily between sleeping, sports, meals and all of the live performances.

General admission is $125 for the weekend and includes a 25-by-25-foot campsite; separate passes for RVs can also be purchased. Well water stations, trash and recycling are also included in the ticket price.

Hoxeyville will have a variety of unique food vendors ready to serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner for purchase, plus artisan craft vendors so you can snag some trinkets to commemorate your time at Hoxeyville.

One vendor of note is Fennville rustic eatery and bakery Salt of the Earth; Robin son said he’s looking forward to the different twist they'll add to the fest's food options.

"As you know, festival food is often not very healthy," he laughed, "but they'll be bringing their farm-to-table fare, which offers more choices for our guests."

STEPPING BACK

In the early days of Hoxeyville, the festival welcomed some serious national headliners from Bruce Hornsby to The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, but the complications of bringing this level of artist to essentially the middle of nowhere, to an audience not used to such activities right in their backyards, proved more taxing than expected.

So Hoxeyville co-founder Jake Robinson and his team of organizers took 2013 to reevaluate the festival. The result was more homegrown talent, keeping those bigger names as special seasoning.

"It’s put more of the focus on the Michigan headliner," he said, "and so far the fanbase has stayed about the same – it's probably 95% attendees from Michigan, plus a few folks from the surrounding states."

TV STARS AND FOLK FAVES

This year’s lineup begins with The Voice finalist, Joshua Davis. The Traverse City favorite turned national performer will be appearing with his two bandmates that comprise the folk/pop/rock blend of the Joshua Davis Trio.

In similar formation, Jeff Austin (formerly of Yonder Mountain String Band) will be performing tracks from his solo album, The Simple Truth, released this past February with his backing band.

How about a supergroup? Hoxeyville’s got one comin’ right up, namely Hard Working Americans, the band comprised of members from Widespread Panic and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, plus Todd Snider on vocals.

"I’m most excited about that one," Robinson said. "Todd’s been here several times with his solo band over the years, but this is the one big rock band headliner we've got, and they’re great."

And the schedule is topped by Greensky Bluegrass, the smash hit Billboard-charting American bluegrass outfit from right here in Michigan.

MICHIGAN MUSIC

If you like your concert lineups shaken, stirred and danceable, you’ve found the right festival.

The rest of Hoxeyville’s 2015 mostly local lineup is even more diverse, starting with familiar names like Lake Effect, Dede and the Dreamers, May Erlewine (performing with The Moonlighters), Seth Bernard, Rachael Davis, The Go Rounds, and Don Julin and Billy Strings, who will be presenting a special set with his father, accomplished guitarist Terry Barber.

Also on this year’s roster are some artists sure to become new favorites. Don't miss highlight performances from the Wisconsin-based old-time progressive folk band Horseshoes and Hand Grenades; youthful "old soul" piano player Milo Birch; acoustic rock trio The Moon Howlers; and roots band The Turnips. Robinson's own band with Seth Bernard, Airborne or Aquatic, will be performing too.

"Personally for me, a lot of these musicians are guys I grew up with and friends of the festival," Robinson said. "So this is just a really cool way for us to all spend the weekend together."

The 2015 Hoxeyville Festival at the Wellston Festival Grounds in the Manistee National Forest takes place Aug. 14–16. Wristbands for the weekend can be purchased at hoxeyville.com and are will-call only.