With the start of the Philadelphia music festival season looming, plans are now in full swing. Festival-goers are signing up to be volunteers, bands are vying for key performance slots and organizers are finalizing their lineups.
We spoke with the forces behind some of Philadelphia's premiere festivals to find out how perfect planning and execution bring music fans to the events each year.
An important aspect in shaping a festival is making sure there is something at the shows for everyone.
"You can discover new music or fabulous old music at our festival." said Lisa Schwartz, president of the Philadelphia Folksong Society, the nonprofit group which organizes the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival. "I have seen young folks in their twenties rave about Tom Rush or Kathy Mattea and also heard 50 and 60- year-olds talk about how great Caravan of Thieves or The Decemberists were."
The festival is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and features music for everyone who attends, including local artists, blues, indie, heritage, celtic, bluegrass, storytelling and children's music.
The same can be said about another local favorite.
"People come to our festival for the vibe." said Roger LaMay, general manager for WXPN and the XPoNential Music Festival. His radio station produces the XPoNential Music Festival each year. This year's headliners include
Emmylou Harris, Citizen Cope, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (whose frontman, Alec Ounsworth, hails from Philadelphia,) Ben Folds, The Smithereens and Ra Ra Riot.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can step away from the music to check out craft stations focusing on many family and environmentally friendly activities. It's no surprise to find people of all ages at Philadelphia music festivals enjoying everything from the music to the vendors.
"We have an eclectic variety of musicians. Some people call the festival the centerpiece of their summer. We've had people come all the way from Germany to attend," said LaMay.
Summer festivals have the ability to draw crowds from all over. Just as people come from other places to enjoy shows in Philadelphia, many city folks also like to get away for a while and head off to outdoor festivals like Bonnaroo.
"Traveling from Philadelphia to a festival is a fun destination for a road trip." said Kevin Lyman, the creator of festivals like Warped Tour and Mayhem. "It is still fun to load up a car with some friends, jam some tunes and tailgate when you get there."
"We have a huge contingent from the Philadelphia area that attend and volunteer at Falcon Ridge, including several members of the Philadelphia Folk Song Society." said Anne Saunders, the artistic director of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate New York. "We are not near a large city, it's a commitment of time and effort to attend. Some people fly in."
This year, the Falcon Ridge festival will feature five time Grammy winning folk/country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter. Fans have to travel at least an hour away from Philly to see her perform.
"The festival is a very close and tight-knit community structure of avid folk enthusiasts. Many attendees see each other every year only at the fest." said Saunders. "They have become best friends who camp together, play campground songs together, share meals, share tarp space and dance together. They may communicate during the year but they come here to be part of a community."
Though Saunders is referring to her own festival, the same can be said about any festival in Philadelphia as well. Schwartz describes Philly Folk Festival's Old Pool farm as "absolutely magical."
"It's like Brigadoon." Saunders said. "An entire musical city seems to materialize for about a week each year and then disappears."
Atmosphere, not just music, makes people want to come to music festivals. "I think people find value at our shows and start to learn that it is about the whole experience and not just about one band." said Lyman. "The signings, the activities and exposure to new things make it a good day."
"I think what makes [our festival] successful is our laid back atmosphere," said Richard Briggs of the Briggs Farm Festival, located in Nesopeck, PA.
"The campgrounds are like a 40 acre living room where total strangers become fast friends and the universal language is music. All are welcome," said Schwartz.
"People return each year because it becomes a special event in their lives like Christmas in July," said Briggs of his festival.
Another way to get people to return each year is to always offer something new. "Patrons return to our festivals because of the value they receive for their admission ticket." said Hamel and Smith. "Endless opportunities for entertainment, quality unique foods, our own brewery and winery bring guests back year after year, event after event."
Ultimately, festivals in Philadelphia are an excellent venue to showcase the area's strongest artists. By showcasing them alongside the bigger, more established bands and musicians, local artists can reach a broader audience.
"We have such a wealth of talented folks in our midst [in Philadelphia]," said Schwartz. "Artisans, artists and musicians who exemplify all that is special and wonderful about this area."
"Our philosophy is to include local artists in everything we do. We want them to connect with a big audience." said LaMay.
The excitement of road trips, shows in the open air, a variety of things to do and in-demand artists to see on a local or large-scale level are all part of what makes Philadelphia festivals so successful.
