FARMINGDALE OBSERVER - MAY 21 - 27, 2014
Rocking On Main Street
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Farmingdale tapped for new Long Island-based music festival BY DANIEL OFFNER
doffner@antonnews.com
It was 45 years ago that Max Yasgur opened his farm to a three-day music festival that would forever change modern rock music. Now, the Village of Farmingdale is looking to follow in its footsteps with plans of setting up its own two-day rock festival in the heart of downtown. “Farmingdale is looking to acquire acts to perform an upcoming two day festival in the village,” said Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand. On May 5, the Village of Farmingdale Board of Trustees made an impromptu off-agenda decision to pay $15,000 to hire
concert promoters with James Faith Entertainment—founders of the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue—to organize the event. Originally, the village Downtown Master Plan Implementation Committee proposed raising the $15,000 necessary to hire the festival promoters. According to Ekstrand, the board’s decision guarantees payment in the event that the fundraising effort falls short of its goal. “We are in the midst of fundraising for this ‘first ever’ Farmingdale Village downtown event,” said Committee Co-chair Chuck Gosline. “As details evolve… we will share more info hopefully by early June.” According to festival producer Jim Faith, Farmingdale was selected as
the location because of its up-andcoming downtown business district. “Farmingdale is another town that is starting to move forward,” Faith said. “[The festival] will be small but we’ll start growing it… music festivals always take a few years to catch on.” Faith said that when he first started the Great South Bay Music Festival eight years ago, it too started small, growing little by little each year. Starting back in 2007, Faith booked folk musician Richie Havens to headline the event. Now, eight years later, headliners include such big name musicians as the legendary B.B. King, moe., Taking Back Sunday, Anders Osborne, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, to name a
few. “We’re in the middle of putting it all together,” Faith said. “The main thing is to bring in new people… some who have never been to Farmingdale before.” Faith plans to work with the village to try to prevent taking any business away from local merchants, while arranging a family friendly atmosphere downtown. “We’re creating a list right now,” said Faith, “We need to make sure we book acts everyone likes.” Village officials say that among the acts being kicked around are Hot Tuna and the Marshall Tucker Band. The two day music festival will run from Sept. 13-14 and will feature anywhere from 15 to 20 musical acts.
Fans came from far and wide to the Great South Bay Music Festival in 2013
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