Old Favorites Return to this Year‘s FarmFest

Aug. 11, 2004

If you roll down your window as you are traveling the back roads of Northern Michigan you will hear “Moo-oo.” The cows are singing because FarmFest is back. Now in its seventh year FarmFest 2004 will take place August 12-15 at “The Farm” 30 miles east of Gaylord. Festival organizers have decided to make this year’s festival theme: “favorites.”
“It is just getting too expensive to bring in a headliner,” said Stacy Jo Shiller, organizer and co-founder. “We decided to bring in bands that have been favorites here and are favorites along the festival circuit. In a way, we have a festival of headliners. Our line-up this year has already helped as we are up 138% in advance ticket sales, so I really feel good about this being the year that puts us over the hump.”
While last year’s festival attracted 1,700 attendees, Farmhouse Music Organization (the non-profit group that oversees the festival) started out in the red this year and initial ticket sales have gone to pay off some of last year’s debt. Despite the financial challenges, the group remains on a solid footing with its mission of supporting musicians.
“Each year we maintain a restricted
fund that does not go into the operations of the festival. We have cans out to collect donations over the weekend that go into the restricted fund so we are able to
give scholarships and help musicians every year,” said Shiller. “We have sent several kids to music camp including two overseas. In addition we have helped 17 musicians of all ages obtain instruments. We track those instruments, and if they are done playing it, we take it back and get it to someone else in need.”
Located in the woods near state forestland just outside of Johannesburg, the FarmFest grounds are a natural amphi-theater bringing music and nature together.
“That is also one of our missions: to blend nature and music together,” said Shiller. “The land really comes alive and those that attend feel it. I know this because every year I walk the grounds looking for litter and garbage and I don’t find anything, not even a cigarette butt. There is a real respect for the land.”
Another thing Shiller is proud of is that this year all the bands will be camping at the grounds for the weekend.
“The campground music this year is going to be fantastic with all of those bands on hand over the weekend,” said Shiller. “Plus, we have bands coming just to jam on the second stage and around the campfire at night. We either couldn’t afford some of these bands or it was too late to add them to the line-up but they are coming anyway.”
Bands just showing up and playing at the second stage have become part of the weekend tradition and in some cases those second stage bands make their way to the main stage the next year.
“Last year, Song of the Lakes showed up and played the second stage because they wanted to be a part of our festival,” said Shiller. Everyone loved them so we booked them in for this year and they will be here all weekend.”
Besides a weekend of eclectic sounds, FarmFest has a kids tent with face painting, crafts, instrument making and songwriting. There will also be 27 craft and art exhibitors and plenty of food.
“Yes, we run a restaurant on the grounds called the Feedbag Cafe, which is very vegetarian,” said Shiller. “This year we have even added a beer tent.”
To make it all work Shiller relies on 150 volunteers who receive several incentives besides a weekend of great music.
“For $20, volunteers get in for the weekend, get a camping pass, $5 food credit, a t-shirt and a membership into The Farmhouse Music Organization,” said Shiller. “In exchange they give us two four-hour shifts.”
While Shiller enjoys the fact that FarmFest is growing each year, she plans to cap attendance.
“Two thousand is going to be our maximum,” said Shiller. “We get a lot of compliments from people who say they just love our festival because it is small.”
Weekend activities kick off on Thursday with an open mic environment after the gates open at noon. Thursday is a free day with no scheduled entertainment and serves as an opportunity for people to come and check out the grounds prior to the weekend to see what it is all about.
Scheduled entertainment begins Friday night at 6 p.m. on the main stage and continues through ’till Sunday night when Steppin’ In It takes the stage at 7:30 for the weekend’s last set. Afterwards the band will lead and all out open jam to close the weekend.
New this year will be a Labyrinth Walk.
“At 9:24 p.m. on Sunday, the time of the New Moon, we will have a Labyrinth Walk,” said Shiller. “Volunteers have built a 55 foot by 55 foot labyrinth out of filed stone so we are very excited about that.”
Another first will be a wedding ceremony.
“On Saturday at 3 p.m. at the second stage James Cook and Shelly Burgess will be getting married,” said Shiller. “They have their family and friends coming, it is great. The two met here five years ago and have been coming ever since.”
As for the rest of the weekend it will be all about the music, here are some of the highlights:

Jive at Five from Cadillac is popular on the festival circuit performing swing music. The seasoned musicians are great entertainers and have appeared at Blissfest, Wheatland and Hiawatha. They play the main stage at 10 pm on Saturday and again at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Song of the Lakes, the maritime folker’s with Celtic and Scandinavian heritage woven in, performs both Saturday and Sunday at 3:20 p.m.
Fiddler Jeremy Kittel first appeared at FarmFest at the age of 15 and will be back to dazzle the audience with his blistering bow, performing Scottish, Irish and American Roots style music. Kittel takes the stage at 2 p.m. on Saturday and then again at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday. Steppin In It will close both Friday night and Sunday night. The Lansing-based folksters have been touring the country and are longtime favorites in Northern Michigan.
Other artists on the schedule for the weekend include Madcat & Kane, The Blue Water Ramblers, Cabin Fever, Seth Bernard, Kirby, Ron Fowler and K Jones and The Benzie Playboyz.

Several ticket options exist ranging from day passes for $25 or a weekend pass that includes camping for $60. Advance tickets are on sale throughout northern Michigan and further information may be obtained by visiting www.farmhousemusic.org or by calling 989-786-3273.