FARMINGTON – With an onsite restaurant, riverside camping and a 10-band lineup of live music, the first Sandy River Music festival kicks off this Memorial Day weekend, bringing people from near and far.
The festival follows two successful seasons of live music provided by the Whistlestop Concert Series, which will also be taking place over the course of the summer. Owner of Narrow Gauge Cinemas and the Big Sky Drive-in, John Moore, began getting creative with the outdoor venue when the pandemic set in two years ago. Restrictions and health safety guidelines all but shuttered the indoor cinema, but as the worst of the pandemic subsided, Moore realized that people wanted a safe way to gather. The music series not only helped bridge the gap of lost revenue, but offered a fresh-air and wide open opportunity for people to safely be in community.
Now, with the pandemic becoming a way of life, Moore said the indoor cinema has hardly bounced back, but this weekend’s show is already packed.
“We still have plenty of tickets left, but it’s a big venue,” he said.
Two weekends ago the drive-in hosted the University of Maine Farmington’s graduation with more than 2,400 people. While he isn’t expecting quite that many this weekend, Moore said people have been calling to purchase tickets from as far as West Virginia.
“We’re hoping it will help make Farmington more of a destination.”
Moore likened the festival to the Trek Across Maine, which once ran regularly through Farmington and brought thousands of bikers to camp in Prescott Field. He hopes the trek will someday happen again, but in the meantime, the Sandy River Music Festival will offer a somewhat similar experience.
Concert goers have the option of camping in the six-acre field located behind the drive-in, alongside the Sandy River. Moore has constructed canvas tents which are available to rent, or campers can bring their own tent or RV. Two giant fire pits with built in benches will be going, and campers can either walk into town to find food and beverages, or head to the Big Sky Grill.
Music will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, with Brent Laflin. Bands will transition every hour or so, with David Mallett Band, Pete Kilpatrick Band, Jason Spooner Band and the Mallett Brothers Band slated for Saturday evening, and The Only Hope, Juke Joint Devils, Eleanor Buckland, Love by Numb3rs, and GoldenOak wrapping up the weekend on Sunday.
For tickets click here. For more information contact John Moore at john@narrowgaugecinema.net.
