Eighth annual music festival focuses on local bands, local art, local breweries, local wineries, and local food
By Julie Horner
Bare feet in the cool grass, warm breeze blowin’ down the mountain; the scent of fresh earth, cooking spices, wood smoke, and incense drift on a sweeping tide of flowing tie-dye and let-your-hair-down good times. The Redwood Mountain Faire “celebrates community with a community celebration” on Saturday and Sunday, June 3rd and 4th, at Roaring Camp in Felton – a feast of live music, rad people, and carefree early summer days. This year’s lineup boasts 22 bands on two stages, all nestled among the sheltering oaks and surrounded by redwood forest. The Meadow awaits your blanket and dancing feet. Handcrafted clothing, juried arts and crafts, fun activities for kids, great food, inspired local micro-brews, wines, ciders, and entertainment surprises await you all weekend.
Redwood Mountain Faire Steering Committee member, Nancy Macy is psyched. “We are absolutely thrilled about the Faire – it’s hard to believe it’s the 8th annual already!” In seven years of hosting the Faire, “we have distributed over $250,000 to local nonprofit, school, and service organizations…gotta love this Valley!” This year’s beneficiaries include Boulder Creek Recreation and Park Foundation, Boulder Creek Elementary School, Camp Joy Gardens, Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Mountain Community Theater, SLV Rotary, Santa Cruz Mountain Art Center, SLV Museum, South Street Center, SLV Charter School’s Booster Club, SLV Middle School Panther Club, Valley Churches United, Mountain Community Resources, and many more! (www.redwoodmountainfaire.com/beneficiaries)
Redwood Mountain Faire 2017 promises more music for all tastes. “Lots more,” Macy says, “and the music is amazing. Just amazing…from San Lorenzo Valley to Peru, the musicians are all so talented and have such exciting and creative and danceable sounds.” Cracker headlines Saturday, Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones headline Sunday, and the rest of the lineup is equally impressive: Carolyn Wonderland, Katdelic, The Coffis Brothers and The Mountain Men, Poor Man’s Whiskey, The Dustbowl Revival, The Stone Foxes, Olde Blue, Edge of the West, and Painted Mandolin just to name a few. (www.redwoodmountainfaire.com/2017-music-lineup)
“The kid’s activities have expanded too…including a small stage for story-reading and other activities down in the crafts area (where South Street Centre has its fun activities). There’s another bounce house-type thing for older kids. We want to keep the kids (and therefore their parents) all happy. And there’s the Fishing Booth, of course, too.”
Welcome summer, rain or shine, at the Redwood Mountain Faire June 3rd and 4th. Bring a low-back beach chair or a large blanket to sit on, extra sunscreen, a hat, and your family and friends. There is plenty of on-site festival parking for $5 (with free shuttle) or at Roaring Camp for $8. Roaring Camp is wheelchair accessible. Please, no coolers or outside comestibles or imbibables and please leave your pets at home to help keep this a family-friendly event and to minimize the impact on the Roaring Camp grounds. Tickets and more info: www.redwoodmountainfaire.com[story-lines][story-lines][story-lines]