So many years after the disbandment of Grateful Dead that in turn relocated tens of thousands of devoted tour followers to various other acts and bigger life purposes, folks still crave that familiar feeling that kept them on tour. It didn’t only come from the music that Garcia and the gang connected with so many people through, but the sense of community and thriving weirdness that expanded continuously over decades of different intersections.

From the beginnings of the large scale festival, dating back to gargantuan events such as the 1969 Woodstock Music & Arts Festival or the Watkins Glen Summer Jam of 1973, it was apparent that hosting tens of thousands and creating a safe environment with proper amenities and resources was a challenge that needed some trial and error to perfect. Over the years music and the way we listen to it has come a long way. And so have the festival concepts that we enjoy contemporary.

While one could marvel at the amount of choices in music festival concepts that now exist, one effortlessly rules over them all. Last year David Frey and Peter Shapiro took their extensive collective promotion experience in creating the ultimate festival concept. A festival where the main driving force is the necessity of collaboration. From there build the festival with the most top of the line (and no doubt expensive for promoters) stage setup, sound equipment, vendor variety, local food proprietors, extensive craft beer selection.

Camp Grier in Old Fort, NC, October 3^rd to 5^th now in its third year, the “Three Days of Light Gathering”, or 3DL as it’s known to thousands of people around the world, LIGHTS UP western North Carolina with…INSPIRATION, ACTIVATION, and CELEBRATION!

The 2014 Coral Skies Music Festival scheduled Saturday, October 25^th in Tampa and Sunday, October 26^th in West Palm Beach brings two stages of all-day music featuring great bands, an expanded array of food trucks and variety of craft beers and regionally renowned artists, Coral Skies Music Festival will have somet

The 2^nd annual ARISE Music Festival was full of magic, wonder, music, acrobats, dancers, poets, and artists of all kinds just as it was last year during its debut. After reviewing the pre-party in Boulder and attending the open house on site, I knew that the creators and help of this amazing festival would come together once again to produce a loving, creative, and musical environment, which would provide endless delight for everyone involved.

Every summer music festival season brings a slew of new concepts and destinations for “festivarians” to pick and choose from. You have to marvel at the fact that so many continue to thrive year after year considering the number of options that are out there. In Colorado alone, thousands of tourists from everywhere come to enjoy countless summer music festival options. Maybe you made it to Rockygrass in July and rejoiced in the revival of a flood-ravaged site miraculously sprung back to life with true roots community effort.

Summer is coming to a simmer while plans at Hangtown Halloween Ball are just heating up.

For bluegrass fans it doesn’t get much better than YarmonyGrass: picturesque Colorado weather, great friends, and top-notch picking in one of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. From August 15^th to the 17^th, bluegrass lovers gathered at Rancho Del Rio for the ninth annual YarmonyGrass festival, and the results were more than pleasing.

Rancho Del Rio

Nice Spring weather. Check. Tucked away in the scenic foothills of Virginia. Check. Easily accessible. Check. Polite and accommodating staff and police. Check. Well laid out stages and concessions. Check. Lightning bugs and even the tail end of a meteor shower. Check. Festival go-er friendly priced tickets. Check. Wide variety of talented performers. Check. The Infamous Stringdusters. Check. Anders Osborne. Check.