The Green River Festival Returns to the Franklin County Fairgrounds

The Green River Festival returns to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Mass. on June 21, 22 and 23 for its 38th year. Named one of "fifty essential summer music festivals" by The New York Times, the Green River Festival is Western Massachusetts' signature summer event. Headliners CAKE, Fleet Foxes, and Gregory Alan Isakov will be joined by a diverse lineup of international touring artists, searing indie-rock bands, rising Americana stars and artists with local roots. Highlights include: high energy, soul-pop band Lawrence; Florida indie rockers flipturn; singer/songwriter Joy Oladakun, a black, queer person and first-generation child of Nigerian immigrants; Appalachian folk and country artist Josiah and the Bonnevilles; Grammy nominated folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman; Afro-Cuban rockstar Cimafunk; Ukrainian "ethno-chaos" quartet Dakhabrakha; indie-pop sister trio Joseph; upstate New York's melodic rock band The Nude Party; Mexican "Cumbia Punk" from Son Rompe Pera; powerful female trio Trousdale; Philly indie-rock quartet Speedy Ortiz; folk singer Willi Carlisle, whose new album Critterland was released on Signature Sounds Recordings in January; and many more across four stages over three days of the festival. The festival is a spectacular celebration of music and community: a world-class lineup of over 40 acts on four stages, the best in local food with 30 food trucks, beer and wine, handmade juried crafts at The Makers Market with 40 vendor booths, a wide array of kids' activities and camping. NPR recently wrote, "The Green River Festival lineup gets more legendary by the year." The festival began in 1986 at Greenfield Community College where it stayed until 2019. Then due to Covid, they had to cancel the festival in 2020. In 2021, the festival returned, and it was held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds which drew record crowds of 5,000 people per day (15,000 attendees over three days). They are planning to break those attendance records this year. JOHN SANDERS, DSP Shows "This should be the biggest year by far. It will exceed attendance of past festivals. We have some bigger headliners this year and we're trying to grow the festival organically while keeping the vibe low-key and accessible," says John Sanders of DSP Shows who is producing the festival, in a recent phone call with The Keene Sentinel. Sanders, who worked for Iron Horse Entertainment Group for 15 years, says, "I'm excited to be at the helm. This is my first year producing the Green River Festival. I'm really excited about this year's line-up. We are bringing it back to The Franklin County Fairgrounds this year. They've been great hosts and it's an amazing space to produce the festival." "I've been promoting shows in Western Massachusetts for 25 years and always thought Jim Olsen did a great job with the festival because it embodies the spirit of what Western MA is, and brings the music that folks enjoy in the community," adds Sanders. "I'm really excited to have headliners CAKE, Fleet Foxes and Gregory Alan Isakov, on the bill," adds Sanders. He says they are leaning into the world music aspect with some high-energy global artists like Cimafunk (Cuba), Mdou Moctar (Niger) and Dakhabrakha (Ukraine). "We have four stages this year, including a Roundhouse stage in the 150-year-old round barn that is on the fairgrounds property. It's such a beautiful old space we wanted to try it," adds Sanders. When asked what sets this summer festival apart from all the others. Sanders is quick to say, "It's unique. It's been around a long time and has become the summer festival in the Pioneer Valley." "It's the sense of community. The festival runs on a small group of people who have been doing it for a long time. There are 400 volunteers who come together to make this go. This is their favorite thing of the summer." "And the intimacy of the festival, seeing these great artists up close is special. The quality of music and quality of food and drink in an intimate setting, with a laid-back vibe and it's (easy accessibility) makes it special," notes Sanders. GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL DETAILS: Festival Passes, Parking, and VIP Passes are available at greenriverfestival.com. Camping is sold out. Onsite parking is nearly sold out, but you can park in Greenfield, which is free all weekend, and take a shuttle to the fairgrounds. This is an all-ages event and it's rain or shine. Ages 12 and under are free and there are specially priced passes for teens. Accessibility liaisons will be on site and ADA parking is available across the street. All of the stages are ADA accessible.