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Your newsletter companion to The Cultural Traveler
 
Providing insights into the rich cultural and heritage traditions, events, and experiences across the United States and U.S. territories.
“Music is the universal language of mankind.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, born 1807 in Portland, Maine. Famous American poet and author of
“Paul Revere’s Ride.”

Music Festivals in America

August marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock.
In this edition we take a look at music festivals across America. 
50 YEARS OF WOODSTOCK

Woodstock is probably the most singularly recognized music festival in the world and has entered the U.S. history, culture and lore. Fifty years ago, this August, on a muddy dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel, New York, a mystical legendary tale was born. Just over 100 miles northwest of New York City, and over 40 miles southwest of Woodstock, NY, this out door multi-day concert defined a generation, embraced a cultural revolution, and became a touchstone for change through art and music. Originally billed as “3 Days of Peace & Music,” the spirit of Woodstock is still alive 5 decades later.
 
Attended by an estimated 400,000+ people, but now recognized the world over, this concert was so powerful that in 2017 the festival site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To mark the Golden Jubilee, Woodstock 50 put together an amazing lineup of artists for a planned 2019 event that supported its mission of peace, love and music. 
 
Despite the ultimate cancellation of Woodstock 50, the underlying spirit of the original Woodstock lives on in outdoor concerts all across the country, embracing every genre of music from alternative to country, to classical and hip-hop, and everything in between.
Jimi Hendrix - National Anthem U.S.A (Woodstock 1969)

MUSIC FESTIVALS FOR EVERYONE

There is a strong culture of live music entertainment in America, and there is no shortage of outdoor concerts and festivals to enjoy. 
 
So whatever your musical preference, there is a music festival somewhere in America that will get your toes tapping, your endorphins flowing, and make you want to sing along.
Here’s just a few festivals from around the country:

Moonrise Festival, Baltimore, MD. August 11 – 12, 2019
Now in its fifth year, every August the Moonrise Festival takes over the world- famous Pimlico Race Course, located just nine miles northwest of Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor and home of the Preakness thoroughbred horse race. Featuring four stages, the festival spans numerous musical styles and genres from dance, to bass, to hip hop, to live electronic dance music, to house music and everything in between. Approximately 30,000 people attend this two-day festival, enjoying 24 hours of music, state of the art production, art installations and an impressive vendor village. One of Baltimore’s many American historical connections is a musical one. Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” when he was held aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 while watching Fort McHenry be bombarded by the British during the Battle of Baltimore. What a fitting musical connection!
AfroPunk Brooklyn, NY, August 24-25, 2019 &
               Atlanta, GA, October 12-13, 2019
Started in 2005, this unique festival has grown to include two cities in the U.S. and three international performances in London, Paris and Johannesburg. The festival showcases music, film, fashion, and other art produced by black artists. It’s more than your average festival, including multiple stages and formats, thought-provoking panel discussions like “Solution Sessions” focused on community-based issues, the “Battle of the Bands” highlighting new artists and talent, the “Spinthrift” shopping market, the “Bites & Beats” food stalls, and in Atlanta, The Grapevine’s panel-style online talk show. 
 
Inspired by a 2003 documentary “Afro-Punk” which explores the Black experience in the American punk scene, the music festival continues to provide a platform for experimental and alternative creativity. According to their Facebook page, “AFROPUNK is a voice for the unwritten, unwelcome and unheard-of.”
 
Indigenous Music & Arts Festival, Victor, NY.
Just 20 miles southeast of Rochester, NY, the Indigenous Music & Arts Festival (formerly the Native American Dance & Music Festival) is hosted on the Ganondagan State Historic Site, which is where one of the largest and most prosperous 17th century Seneca towns stood until it was destroyed by the French in 1687. The Seneca people are a distinct group of Iroquoian-speaking people native to North America. In addition to indigenous musical entertainment, the festival features Iroquois Social Dancing, Native American Arts Market, traditional arts demonstrators, Indigenous foods, and Iroquois storytelling. The 2019 festival was held July 27 & 28. The 2020 festival has not yet been scheduled. Check out their Instagram account for images and videos of the entertainment.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Indio, CA. April 10-12 & 17-19, 2020
Photo Credit: Raph_PH Cochella [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
Hosted on the Empire Polo Club, the annual concert features a wide variety of musical genres: rock, pop, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music (EDM, if you want to be ITK … In the Know). Just follow I-10 from Ontario, CA through Palm Springs, CA to get to the Coachella Valley. (Fun Fact: Dates were originally brought to The Coachella Valley in the 1890s and now the Valley grows nearly 15% of the entire world’s dates.) Coachella returns to the Palm Desert April 10-12 & 17-19, 2020.
Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL. August 2020
Photo credit: Lil Skies by Sydney Gawlik / Lollapalooza 2019
Lollapalooza showcases 170+ artists in the heart of downtown Chicago in the famed Grant Park. The festival offers a wide variety of musical styles including alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic music. Nicknamed “Chicago’s Front Yard,” Grant Park is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is home to Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum Campus which is short-hand for an impressive collection of venues: America’s first planetarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and Soldier Field (home of Chicago's football team ‘da Bears’). Buy a one-day ticket or a pass for all 4 days. Each day provides 11 hours (open 11AM to 10PM) of amazing outdoor entertainment. Come for the music, stick around and enjoy all the other cultural offerings. Lollapalooza just ended on Augusat 4, 2019, and 2020 dates have not been set yet. You can always try Lollapalooza’s international concerts in Germany, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, France, and Sweden.
CMA Fest, Nashville, TN. June 4 – 7, 2020
The three-day Country Music Association Festival draws hundreds of country music artists and celebrities and an estimated 90,000 fans every year to Nashville, Tennessee. With multiple stages throughout downtown Nashville, the CMA Fest is a one-of-a-kind festival promoting country music and the importance of music education. Artists donate their performance time, allowing a portion of the ticket proceeds to support high-quality music programs across the country through the CMA Foundation. Named the “gold standard” and topping Billboard’s list of the 10 Best Country Music Festivals, CMA Fest is the longest-running country music festival in the world, with last year’s event drawing capacity crowds and the largest engagement by country music fans in the event’s history, with visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries flocking to downtown Nashville. 
 
Telluride Blue Grass Festival, Telluride, CO. June 18-21, 2020
Simpsora Telluride Blue Grass 2009 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
This festival celebrates Blue Grass, a genre of American roots music originating in the Appalachian region and drawing on a wide variety of musical traditions including English, Irish and Scottish folk music, along with a heathy dose of blues and jazz. Produced by Planet Bluegrass, the Telluride Blue Grass Festival showcases the world's finest acoustic musicians in a breathtaking Colorado setting. One-day or four-day passes are available. Performances go on rain or shine, so prepare accordingly. And remember at nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, the weather can change quickly. It does get chilly at night even if the temperature is in the 90s during the day.
Turns out there are enough festivals to write several newsletters, but here are a few other festivals of note: What ever your musical taste, there is a music festival for you somewhere in America.

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us about your favorite music festival. 
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