June Lake Jam Fest, the annual fundraising event for the June Lake Loop Performing Arts Association (JLLOOPPAA) has announced the lineup for their much-lauded boutique music festival. The jam band festival, in its eighth year and dubbed “Flying High Edition'', takes place in Gull Lake Park in June Lake, CA from September 8th through the 10th.
The popular music festival returns after the COVID pandemic causes the festival to go “virtual” in 2020 and forces the festival’s cancellation in 2021. 2022’s Jam Fest 7 saw their attendance and fundraising numbers rise dramatically. According to Janet Hunt, Coordinator of the festival, the theme “Flying High Edition” speaks to the success of the music festival she founded with her husband, Bill Hunt.
“Jam Fest, which began as a small, humble anniversary party for Bill and I, has truly taken on a life of its own,” said Hunt. “Each year the festival’s audience grows by leaps and bounds. The number of vendors, volunteers and sponsors applying to be part of this community is larger. The sheer number and quality of the performers submitting to perform on our lakeside stage is staggering. Word is out. Nobody wants to miss Jam Fest.”
Slated to return to Jam Fest are the high-octane quartet GrooveSession, California rockers The Mother Hips, Grateful Dead-specialists, Cubensis, as well as the outlaw hippie bluegrassers The Storytellers. Preeminent blues guitarist Marc Ford, previously with the Black Crowes, is a recent addition to the lineup.
Also performing are Alex Jordan Band, Hempstring Orchestra, Kareeta, Boot Juice, Wolf Jett, Shaky Feelin’, Sanford Street, and Katie Skene Band. The Festival Express, Lightning Dan & the Crawdads, The Great North Special, Tracorum and Love Mischief round out the remaining roster.
“Our lineup was carefully curated so as to provide fans with a wide range of talent and musical styles,” stated Hunt. “Besides jam bands, our guests will enjoy rock, funk, folk, bluegrass, and more. Each act is composed of top-tier musicians, all of them committed to producing creative, colorful, improvisational, and joy filled sounds that will inspire festival goers to dance and sing along.”
According to Hunt, the fact that the event is a not-for-profit fundraiser makes it less susceptible to what she and other industry insiders are calling “festival fatigue”.
“We’re seeing many more music festivals being produced as promoters realize how profitable they can be if done right,” said Hunt. “But the past two years have seen many of the smaller festivals going under as audiences are divided.”
“Our community, however, has just dug in their heels when it comes to supporting Jam Fest. They love knowing that they won’t see Coke and Budweiser signage. They appreciate that 95% of our staff are volunteers. They understand that, while this is an event rich with music, love, community, and color, nobody is getting rich. The money goes back into our lakeside mountain community in the form of art education and scholarships for young people and much more.”
Jam Fest is sponsored by JLLOOPPAA, a nonprofit organization that provides cultural enrichment by supporting the creative and performing arts in Mono County. They host, sponsor, and fund a range of educational, exhibitive and performing arts opportunities and events. They support emerging local talent and enrich the creative economy and enliven the artistic values of the community.
The festival provides opportunities for arts, crafts and food vendors, as well as camping, boating, hiking, fishing, biking, dining and more.
To purchase presale passes/tickets, please visit: JuneLakeJamFest2023.eventbrite.com To learn more about the June Lake Jam Fest, please visit: https://www.junelakejamfest.org To learn more about the June Lake Loop Performing Arts Association, please visit: http://www.junelakearts.org
