Saturday, August 17, 2019, 1:00 pm until 11:00 pm
The Bartlett Farm, 27 Center St., Montague, MA
In a somewhat magical turn of events, The Bartlett Farm is becoming Barbès for a day. On August 17 Montague is in for a musical bacchanal unlike anything the little town has ever seen, with global dance grooves from around the world and back, courtesy of Laudable Productions along with Olivier Conan, founder of Chicha Libre and co-owner of the famous music club, Barbès. This first year lineup includes a lot of the folks who made Barbes what it is: Slavic Soul Party, Stephane Wrembel, Combo Chimbita, Big Lazy, and Anbessa Orchestra; as well as other Brooklyn wonders like the great Antibalas (celebrating their 20th afrobeat anniversary!), Underground System, Alsarah & the Nubatones; and some local friends: Klezperanto and the Berkshire Bateria. We can't wait to see you there!
THE LOCATION
The Bartlett Farm may be the Valley's most exquisite location for a festival with its wide-open meadows, winding river banks, and enchanting walnut grove. It’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream come to life, situated just around the corner from the Montague Book Mill. Yep, that's only 10 minutes off I91 and 20 minutes from Northampton.
FOOD AND ACTIVITIES
Food trucks, craft breweries, pop-up theater performances, art installations, and a scavenger hunt that unfolds as you wander the idyllic twelve twelve-acre farm. The festival is wonderfully kid-friendly and everyone is welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs, umbrellas, and games to play in the field.
THE LINEUP
The inaugural lineup is a veritable buffet of musical flavors from around the world: Afrobeat, Balkan brass, psychedelic cumbia, Ethiopian groove, Afropop, gypsy swing, jazz/blues twang, klezmer, Brazilian samba, and yet harder-to-define sounds as well. What stands out is how significant some of the acts have been in their particular genres:
