GrateVille Productions’ Dennie Humphrey and Ashley Angel are excited to invite Louisville to the 3rd Annual GrateVille Dead Music Festival, to celebrate the life and legacy of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, July 28th-July 29th 2016 beginning at 3:00 PM at the Brown Forman Amphitheater on Waterfront Park on Friday. Two Days of Music and Camping in celebration of Jerry's Birthday and The Dead in the beautiful setting of Louisville's Waterfront Park on the Ohio River.
In 2015 local entrepreneur and producer Dennie Humphrey and partner, fellow “deadhead” Ashley Angel produced the very first GrateVille Dead Tribute in honor of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead on Garcia’s birthday. Including talents like Tyrone Cotton, Screamin’ John, Hot Iron Skillet, Phiasco and the Louisville Merry Pranksters, the event was an unexpected success, drawing a huge crowd of over 2,000 people to the Brown Forman Amphitheater in Louisville’s scenic Waterfront Park despite a very small advertising campaign and only 30 days of planning.
In 2016 the gang returned for another smash success at the Brown Foreman Amphitheater drawing even larger crowds for fun, sun and classic tunes, with an expanded lineup including the likes of Driftwood Gypsy, Alanna Fugate, Acoustic Garden and Kenny’s Garcia Band. The all weekend event was evidence to Dennie and Ashley that this was something that would continue on for years to come.
“It was an amazing experience, and I wanna thank all you guys for coming out and supporting us! Keep on Truckin,” said Humphrey of 2016. “And this year [2017] it's a whole new deal. Something we wanted to do before but now we’ve reached a point where we can take the next step and add camping to the experience. It’s like a family, and its sad at the end of the day to see everyone leave. So this year the fun just keeps going all night.”
So, for 2017 festival organizers are working with Turner’s on the River to host two nights of camping for festival goers so that the party doesn’t set with the sun! Festival goers will be able to take shuttles, bikes or drive to the campground where there will be food, drinks and fellowship as well as late night live music sets with Captain Midnight and the Restless String band.
Camp facilities include showers and bathrooms, a bar, food concessions, swimming and other campsite activities and it’s going to be a heck of alot of fun for folks of all ages! Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, necessities. Campfires should be permitted within reason contingent upon Park Service restrictions those days. Sometimes July is too dry to burn. But bring marshmallows and s’mores just in case! We ask that you refrain from bringing outside alcoholic beverages and to purchase them at the Turner bar. This is another way we help support the venue so they want us to come back.
“We’re really excited about this” says Humphrey who recently closed the doors to his local bar The Monkey Wrench in order to devote more time to the festival and similar projects, “We really want to make this a special time for people, and to make memories that people will never forget. It’s an intimate festival. Everyone gets to know each other.”
The festival will occur again this year at the Brown Forman Amphitheater during the day, and Turner’s on the River at night, Friday July 28th and Saturday July 29th. The event is all ages and will include a children’s area for the kids, plenty of food, vendors of all Grateful Dead memorabilia under the sun, cold drinks, yoga, and one of the most picturesque festival grounds in Louisville.
The list of sponsors this year has also increased. Mellow Mushroom will be baking pizzas for the hungry masses, GonzoToday TV will be conducting interviews and live online broadcasts, and the festival is also partnering this year with Strive502 to make Grateville Dead more than just a music festival, but also a way to support an important Louisville cause through music and love.
For 2017 a portion of all ticket sales will go to Strive502, a 501(c)3 not for profit bringing “creative wellness opportunities” to Louisville and “to design and facilitate meaningful creative wellness opportunities for local organizations, facilities, and the Louisville community” through workshops and a variety of music therapies.
A dollar of each ticket and a portion of proceeds will go to support this great cause.
So we ask that everyone bring their family and friends (and children) to this epic all ages event and let the good times roll!
