New festivals bring music, all-ages fun back to Canton

After a three-year hiatus, Canton’s Prowse Farm will once again be hopping this summer with the debut of two new festivals, both promising great live music and tons of fun for all ages — all against the stunning backdrop of Great Blue Hill.

The festivities commence a week from Saturday with Festival at the Farm, a daylong celebration of “real music, real food, and real fun” sponsored by local restaurant chain b.good. Later this summer, on September 17 and 18, the family friendly vibes return with the two-day New England Festy, an offshoot of the popular Festy Experience held annually in the mountains of Virginia.

Headliners at the July 30 Festival at the Farm include notable national performers such as Ryan Montbleau Band, Turkuaz, The Motet, and The Soul Rebels. The New England Festy lineup, just recently announced, is anchored by the Infamous Stringdusters and features some of the biggest names in bluegrass and folk, including Greensky Bluegrass, Josh Ritter, The Wood Brothers, and Sierra Hull.

Both Canton festivals are being produced by Six Chair Productions, a new event production company launched earlier this year by Boston music industry veteran James Macdonald. As the former director and creative visionary behind the popular Life is good festivals (2010-13), Macdonald helped put Canton on the map as a summer concert destination, attracting award-winning artists such as Dave Matthews and Ben Harper as well as some of the biggest names in kids entertainment, including Yo Gabba Gabba and Nickelodeon’s Fresh Beat Band.

Whereas most mainstream music festivals are geared toward the 18-and-older set, Macdonald strove for a true all-ages experience with the Life is good fest, and the move paid off with big crowds every summer and millions of dollars raised for the Life is good Kids Foundation.

Both new festivals will aim to duplicate that success with a similar blueprint, blending kid-friendly activities and performances with more refined tastes and offerings that appeal to adults.

For the Festival at the Farm, the goal is to throw a big “backyard BBQ” with nonstop live performances, outdoor games, and a summer-themed menu with fresh, local food and drink courtesy of b.good and Harpoon Brewery. There will also be interactive booths where festival goers can meet some of b.good’s farmers and producers, as well as a marketplace featuring dozens of local artists, crafters and vendors.

As noted on the festival website, “It’s about creating a community event that’s good for all — music lovers who want to jam, foodies who want to eat delicious food and drink craft beer, and the kids who want to run free.”

For the kids, the festival will feature performances by Josh & the Jamtones, Awesome Robb, Big Joe the Storyteller, and a nature show presented by the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. There will also be a designated “kids zone” with arts and crafts and hands-on games and activities.

Similar events are planned for the New England Festy, which will also feature a kids zone as well as arts and crafts, educational workshops, and other kid-friendly programs.

According to organizers, it’s the remedy to “I would love to go, but I’ve got the kids.”

“This is the festival you come to with your kids,” the Festy website explains. “Unlike mainstream music festivals, the experience of the Festy is not escapism but rather an opportunity to dig deeper into life with your family and your community.”

Continuing a tradition established with the Life is good festivals, both upcoming events will also benefit a worthy charity, with all proceeds from the Festival at the Farm going to the b.good Family Foundation and the net profits from the Festy going to the Can’d Aid Foundation. The b.good Family Foundation provides micro-grants to help inspired individuals improve their communities, particularly here in Massachusetts, while Can’d Aid, a Colorado-based nonprofit, focuses on various acts of “do-goodery” — everything from flood relief to bike donations to grassroots recycling programs.

For more information on the two beneficiaries, visit www.bgoodfamilyfoundation.com and www.candaid.org.

The gates at both Canton festivals will open at 1 a.m. and close at approximately 10 p.m. Tickets to the Festival at the Farm are $40 for adults, $15 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. A special VIP experience, featuring a b.good farm-to-table dinner, an oyster bar, access to the VIP lounge and more, is available for $120 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.festivalatthefarm.com.

Two-day weekend passes to the New England Festy are now on sale as well for the early bird rate of $65, and kids 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Single-day tickets will go on sale later this summer. For details on the festival or to order tickets, go to www.thenewenglandfesty.com.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jul 22 2016. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.