Do you love experiencing live music but the popular music festivals in America are getting too big and becoming more about fashion than music? Well, there is a growing number of avid music fans who refuse to go near mega-festivals like Chicago’s Lollapalooza, Indio’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and San Francisco’s Outside Lands. That’s why there is a surge of boutique festivals becoming more popular across America in places like Happy Valley, Oregon where Pickathon is held at Pendarvis Farm. It’s a festival known for featuring a diverse lineup of indie, folk and jazz artists on forest stages, alongside enviable sustainable practices and a zero-waste ethos. The 26-year-old festival is known to have elevated indie-darlings Geese early on.
Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville, Kentucky, showcases emerging underground talent in a historic amphitheater set into the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains. There is also the bi-annual Joshua Tree Music Festival held near Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert. It has been known to attract talent like Trombone Shorty, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Chicano Batman. It’s casual, meandering vibe makes it a truly unique and intimate destination for music fans and families who love a mystical desert experience with a dose of exceptionally talented musicians.
If you desire experiencing and discovering new music in an intimate beach setting, head to coastal Lewes, Delaware, this summer where they host the Rocking The Docks, an outdoor concert series founded in 2023 and held at the picturesque Lewes Ferry Grounds. Yes, that means you can take a scenic ferry to access the events that kicks off Memorial Day weekend and goes through the end of August. It brings national touring roots-rock, folk and country artists with popular regional acts to the Delaware coast to create a unique live music experience that celebrates “great music, coastal culture, and community,” according to the festival’s owner and producer, Matt VanBelle.
“Rocking The Docks was built to prove Coastal Delaware can support world class live music in a setting unlike anywhere else on the East Coast,” he continues. “We’re not trying to be the biggest festival – we’re trying to be the most memorable concert experience in the region.” Bands include Eggy, The California Honeydrops, The Amish Outlaws and many more with equally provocative names. To kick off 4th of July weekend (on July 2), there are fireworks to accompany the rock tribute band Fleetwood Macked. Does it get more American than that?
On Sunday, June 21, a “Rolling Together Revue” will highlight artists G. Love, Donavon Frankenreiter and Moon Taxi, while on Saturday, August 15, the series will host a Summer Blues Fest featuring The Record Company, Lower Case Blues, and Sweet Leda. So, there is something for a range of musical tastes. If you live in New York, you can be on the Delaware coastline in under four hours.
The growth of smaller, curated music experiences like Pickathon, Laurel Cove Music Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival and now Rocking The Docks appear to be winning the hearts and minds of many music lovers across America. Rocking The Docks promises to be a laidback yet compelling musical experience on Delaware’s coastal waterfront with stunning sunsets and a charming, family-friendly atmosphere. To learn more about the lineup and dates, visit www.rockingthedockslewes.com.
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