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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2010 |
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MORE ARTISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 13th ANNUAL UNION COUNTY MUSICFEST
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Union County, NJ –With more music and exciting new attractions, this year’s annual Union County MusicFest promises five days full of sights, sounds, and activities from September 8 to September 12. Soul Asylum, The Zombies, OK Go, Suzanne Vega, Mike Peters & Friends, Vita Chambers and New Jersey’s own 61 North have joined an eclectic musical lineup that already includes Spoon, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Nils Lofgren Acoustic Duo, Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social, and The Bravery. Additional performing artists, including the Saturday headline act, as well as Crossroads Stage artists, will be announced in August. As always, all performances at MusicFest are free. Additional attractions are free or affordably priced, and ample free offsite parking is available nearby along with a free shuttle. Onsite parking is available for a nominal fee of $10 for an entire day. Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets and folding chairs (no hard-sided coolers, please). Tasty foods, snacks and beverages are also available for purchase from a wide variety of vendors. “MusicFest has become a major regional event that attracts top notch internationally known talent, and The Freeholder Board is proud to feature outstanding New Jersey performing artists such as 61 North and Robert Randolph in that company,” said Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan. “The arts are an engine for economic growth in New Jersey, and MusicFest is one of the many ways in which we help to build a thriving arts scene in Union County and beyond.” Generous contributions from business and nonprofit sponsors keep all performances at MusicFest free of charge. In an effort to continue generating new revenues to support the event, this year a limited number of individual sponsorships will be available through the new Friends of MusicFest program. Individual sponsors receive:
Individual sponsorships are available for one day of performances at $150, or both days at $250. Friends of MusicFest is administered by the Union County Performing Arts Center, a MusicFest partner organization. For more details visit www.ucpac.org. The County Fair at MusicFest kicks off the 5-day series of events on Wednesday, September 8, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. This full-fledged carnival features 20 exciting different rides and other attractions. It will be open every day and evening until the conclusion of MusicFest on Sunday, September 12. Thursday is Family Day at The County Fair, opening up at noon. Pop sensation Vita Chambers will perform a free concert at 7:30 and there will be a fireworks display as the Fair closes for the night at 10:00. On Family Day only, visitors can purchase a wristband for unlimited carnival rides all day and night. Tickets may also be purchased for individual rides. The weekend events begin first thing on Saturday morning, September 11 with the Rock On! Walkathon. This 5k walk/run raises funds to fight cancer through the international Love, Hope, Strength Foundation. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m., runners go at 9:00 and walkers take off at 9:15. Proceeds will also benefit The Valerie Fund, a major children’s cancer research foundation based in New Jersey. For more information, visit www.ucmusicfest.com. The lineup for Saturday’s performances includes The Bravery, Soul Asylum, OK Go, Mike Peters & Friends, Jesse Malin and The St. Marks Social, Willie Nile, and 61 North. Saturday’s performance by Mike Peters & Friends at MusicFest features Peters, who is the frontman of The Alarm, joining with other musical luminaries in an acoustic set. After MusicFest closes on Saturday night, Peters will also perform an electric set with The Alarm at the after-party, at The Crossroads in Garwood (tickets for the after-party are on sale at The Crossroads, online at www.xxroads.com, or by phone at 800-594-TIXX). Spoon headlines the Sunday slate, joined by The Zombies, Suzanne Vega Robert Randolph and The Family Band, and the Nils Lofgren Acoustic Duo. Also on Thursday through Saturday, The MusicFest Phantasmagorial - A Sideshow Cavalcade of the Odd makes its first visit to the venue, to thrill and delight audiences with a display of performances that celebrate all things that are weird, wacky, goofy, dangerous, disturbing and bizarre. It’s a wild ride through the wondrous world of old-time Americana entertainment featuring dangerous stunts, amazing feats, unusual funny characters, unique circus skills, oddball behavior and crazy antics. A modest fee is charged for admission to this exhibit, which is suitable for “PG” audiences an up. Show times will be announced soon. The popular Kids Kingdom Travelling Jubilee, a special area packed with free and affordably priced activities for youngsters and free non-stop performances on a children’s stage, returns on Saturday and Sunday along with the amazing Hell on Wheels BMX stunt bikers with free shows of their daredevil skills. More new special attractions will be announced soon, and dozens of food stands, sponsor booths, arts, crafts and other vendors round out the festivities. The Kids Kingdom Traveling Jubilee will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday September 11, and from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday September 12. The County Fair at MusicFest will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday September 8, and from noon to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, September 9 and 10. A fireworks display will top off the night on Thursday. The Fair runs Saturday, September 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and on Sunday, September 12 from noon to 10:00 pm. For all event information and updates, visit the official MusicFest website, www.ucmusicfest.com. |
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