Grand Point North, the music festival presented by Grace Potter and Higher Ground at Burlington’s Waterfront Park on September 17 and 18, announced the return of Grand Point Weird, a visual arts installation, to the weekend-long party, Grand Point Local, featuring local restaurants and food products, and the Reverb Eco Village, benefiting several local Vermont non-profits. Organizers also announced that Soule Indomitable and River Whyless will perform the official after party at Nectar’s in downtown Burlington immediately following the festival Saturday night.
In addition to sets by Grace Potter on both festival days, Grand Point North will include Old Crow Medicine Show, Guster, The Wood Brothers, Kaleo, Blind Pilot, The Record Company, Kat Wright & The Indomitable Soul Band, Basia Bulat, and Eliza Hardy Jones, who also plays in Potter’s backing band.
Continuing its tradition of showcasing homegrown talent, this year's lineup will also include acts from around New England including And The Kids, Steady Betty, Smooth Antics, Blue Button, Billy Dean & The Honor Roll, and Iron Eyes Cody. Evansville Transit Authority was selected by readers of Seven Days to kick off Grand Point North this year.
Grand Point Weird, the art installation on the festival grounds, will be curated once again by Grace’s sister, Charlotte Potter, who is the glass-studio manager and program director of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. This year, Grand Point Weird will feature in intensive collaborative project between Brooklyn based painter, Esteban del Valle, and students from the Vermont Governor's Institute for the Arts. Using the Abenaki creation story of Lake Champlain as inspiration, students developed masks and performances that will augment live painting by Esteban.
“We are thrilled to expand Grand Point Weird (GPW) with a meaningful new partnership with the Governor’s Institute for the Arts (GIA). Both Grace and I attended the GIA and it was extremely formative in the shaping of our careers,’ said Charlotte Potter. “It's exciting to come full circle and work with these talented students, incredible instructors, as well as Esteban who is a dear friend from graduate school. This is a true collaborative project which explores our native lands through myth and storytelling.”
Grand Point North is proud to offer Grand Point Local, a collection of local restaurants and local food products available for sale and curated by The Skinny Pancake. Grand Point Local was created to celebrate local food by highlighting some of Vermont’s best purveyors. This year’s participants include: A Maizing Kettle Corn, Brio Coffeeworks, Caja Madera, Duino Duende, Farmers & Foragers, Green Pasture Meats, Open Hearth Pizza, Pingala, The Skinny Pancake, Southern Smoke, and more.
“It’s our fifth year curating Grand Point North’s awesome food experience and we think this will be the best one yet. Like every year, all proteins and tons of veggies will be sourced locally. New for this year, we have added some of Vermont’s hardest-to-find food trucks,” said Benjy Adler, co-owner of The Skinny Pancake. “Vermont is on the leading edge of the local food movement and there’s no better place to celebrate that at a classic Vermont festival like GPN. Come hungry; this won’t be your average festival food!”
Grand Point North also welcomes the return of the Reverb Eco Village. Founded by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her husband Adam Gardner of Guster, Reverb promotes environmental awareness within the music industry by helping musicians make their tours and concerts more eco-friendly while urging concertgoers to take action in the hopes of creating a more sustainable future. The efforts of the Eco Village will once again benefit several local Vermont non-profits.
This year’s official after party is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th at 10:30 P.M. at Nectar’s in downtown Burlington. This 21+ event will feature performances from Soule Indomitable and River Whyless. Tickets go on on-sale today at noon. $10 at www.GrandPointNorth.com.
On the shores of Lake Champlain, Burlington’s Waterfront Park offers an idyllic setting for the family-friendly festival. The festival offers music on two side-by-side stages with alternating performances, enabling festivals goers to catch every note. The opening bands are hand-picked by Grace and are always an amazing addition to the headline talent. The intimate size of the festival guarantees attendees will be able to experience all that it has to offer.
Tickets for Grand Point North and the after party are on sale at www.GrandPointNorth.com, by phone at 877-987-6487, or in person at the Higher Ground box office, located at 1214 Williston Road in South Burlington. Two-day festival passes are currently $79. One-day tickets are $59 in advance. Children 12 and under are free.
All events are rain or shine. All dates, acts, and ticket prices subject to change without notice.
