Fall Folk Fest returns big for its second year.
Fest season typically takes place in the Spring with the alcohol fueled shenanigans of the street fests and the muddy fields of #Fest, but a new festival is gaining steam by featuring up-and-coming local music talent.
Fall Folk Fest will host two stages at 28 Smith St. Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. for free featuring an eclectic mix of Athens bands spanning a wide range of genres — not just folk. Artists include featured acts on The Post’s Athens Sessions video series: She Bears, Fathers of the Revolution and Blond (set to be released later this semester).
Haden DeRoberts, host of the Fall Folk Festival, said the project started back in suburban Columbus when he was in high school.
“This Folk Fest is technically going to be the eighth time I've hosted it, however this is the second time I've done it in Athens in its current format,” DeRoberts said. “I think it sort of created a monster, a really awesome monster. The event has really taken hold and outgrown itself here in Athens and that is something that I'm pretty happy about.”
DeRoberts said the real motive of the event is to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. T-shirts will be on sale for $10 and all proceeds donated to the charity. Attendees can also join the National Bone Marrow Registry.
Both of these causes are very close to DeRoberts personally as he received a life saving bone marrow transplant in 2012 after being treated by the Leukemia. Society.
“Its just a really good time,” Blonde’s •Ethan Wehrly said. “There are awesome people, awesome local music and there's like four hundred people attending on Facebook already so it is going to be a huge rager. Its just a really good time all around, you can’t really go wrong with it.”
Blonde performed at last year’s fest as well as the Fall Folk Festival in Columbus. The festival is at a new house this year and Blonde have a new lineup they’re set to perform at 4:40 p.m.
Daniel Spencer, from the Fathers of the Revolution, said Fathers as a full band is unable to play but he is still playing in a duo with Fathers’ drummer Seth Alexander. The duo call themselves Wolfmen, but play a lot of Fathers songs.
“Folk Fest is definitely not a "fest" in the traditional Athens sense. It's not the sort of Bacchanalia some other fests usually turn into,” Spencer said. “Folk Fest is low-key music festival, and sure, people are there to party, but the music is still the focus.”
Catch Wolfmen at 5:50 Saturday and see the full list of bands below.
“Folk Fest is intentionally cultured to be an event that accepts and loves everybody,” DeRoberts said. “I want anyone and everyone to feel comfortable at Folk Fest and I think we've been pretty successful in that. I don't want Folk Fest to be polarized to the student population specifically, it's my hope that students, faculty, permanent residents and anyone really can enjoy themselves at Folk Fest.”
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