Milford Music Festival feelin' more than alright

Record-breaking attendance in the park Milford n Beginning and ending the weekend with the local musician’s Gypsy Jazz Quintet and the Bobby Kyle Band, the Milford Music Festival set the entire town to music with local and nationally recognized artists that encourage the record breaking attendance in the park this year. With more than 4,500 people in the park for the headlining performance Dave Mason, Milford was alive with the sounds of music from every direction. Total attendance throughout the weekend is estimated at over 7,000 people that grooved to the music that exploded from the main stage in the Ann street park. The weekend brought through the park both veteran and novice music lovers that came from near and far to hear the sounds of artists ranging from the Mahavisnu Project, Alfred James Band, and Jim Weider and Project Percolator to Parker String Quartet, Raquay & The Cavemen, Roger Drawdy & the Firestarters, and In Flight Radio. The start of the magical weekend, Friday, was laden with the transformative power of the spirit of music. The festival opened with the Gypsy Jazz Quartet and Mahavisnu Project, which brought many early arrivals of the festival weekend to the park. The night, which brought more than 1,000 people to the park, set the tone for the already talked-about weekend. On Saturday night, the crowd was more than ready to hear the legendary musician Dave Mason, awaiting the performance of his signature song, “Feelin’ Alright,” especially since that was exactly how the crowd was feeling. Festival-goers were lined from one end of the park to the other, with folding chairs, coolers, and blankets and in the most relaxed atmosphere swaying to the music of Dave Mason. Mason, who played for an hour and a half, also enjoyed the crowd because at the end of his last song the crowd began to yell, “We want more!” And more is what they got. The band came back on for the encore performance of the infamous song, where Mason then invited the crowd to join him for the chorus. Two standing ovations later, the evening came to an end with an excited buzz over the high-energy performance that Dave Mason and his band gave at the Ann Street Park Stage. The festival was still going strong on Sunday with thousands of people in the park listening to the artists of the day, Raquay & The Cavemen, Jim Weider and Percolator Project, and local musician Bobby Kyle. The crowd was holding on as Bobby Kyle gave the last performance of the festival and left everyone wanting more, but not just from Bobby Kyle, but also from the festival. Aside from those that attended the festival, local businesses were all the rage about the weekend, boasting great sales and energy from their customers, increased foot traffic, and the excitement that bounced all around the town from the great atmosphere the festival had created. Lisa Bingham, owner of Firefly Toy Shop in the Lumberyard Shops, was tickled by the weekend as well, saying, “The festival was so much fun, the town felt so electric and alive this weekend.” Festival-goers and local business owners were not the only ones buzzing about the weekend. The artists that played the main stage of the festival all had a great time and could not believe the response of the crowd, the atmosphere of the town and the park, and can’t wait to come back. “The guys talked all the way home about what a fantastic day they all had and how it was by far our favorite show ever. We’d love to come back again next year!!” n Alfred James Band “Thanks for having us up to Milford. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone in the band. That was also among the nicest, most appreciative groups of people I’ve had the pleasure to play for.” -- Citigrass “We had a great time at the festival. It was a really nice relaxed atmosphere and the crowd was fun.”n Roger Drawdy & The Firestarters The success of this year’s festival is undoubtedly attributed to the festival-goers, the musicians, and all those that dedicated their efforts to making the weekend happen and so smoothly, bringing more than 7,000 people to the town of Milford to experience the music that was not only in the park, but at just about all the businesses on the main streets of Milford. Learn more about Milford Music Festival at www.milfordmusic.org, and sign up for MMF alerts, newsletters, and more. Tee-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball caps are still available from this year’s festival. To order visit the website or contact Angel Barnard. Look out for more Milford Music Festival sponsored events coming up before next year’s festival. The Milford Music Festival is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. For information on becoming a sponsor, please visit the website at: www.milfordmusic.org, or contact Angel Barnard at 570-296-1339.