BMS Guide to New England Summer Music Festivals

So were you planning on going to Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza until the economy said no? Well, you can still get your fix of music by staying home and enjoying one of the many festivals in your own backyard. New England boast several multi-day festivals throughout the region with music for all ears: rock, folk, jazz, roots, christian and more.

With that in mind, we thought we would bring you a comprehensive guide on all the major multi-day music festivals taking place in New England this summer. Here you’ll find all the necessary info: who’s playing, where it is, and how much it costs. Are you the camping type, will you need a hotel, or can you stay at home and drive? We’ve also got that, but we recommend either taking loads of deodorant for camping or checking TripAdvisor for your hotel stay.

Here are this summer’s multi-day music festivals in New England in chronological order:

Nateva Music & Camping Festival: July 2-4
Oxford, Maine
Website: www.natevafestival.com
Headliners: Further, The Flaming Lips, moe.
Supporting Cast: Umphrey’s McGee, The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, STS9, She & Him, Grizzly Bear, Ghostland Observatory, Drive-By Truckers, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa
New England Bands: Passion Pit, Ryan Montbleau Band, Rustic Overtones, Magic Magic, John Brown’s Body, The Brew, The Indobox, Roots of Creation, The Nate Wilson Group, Adam Ezra Group, The McLovins, Brenda, You Can Be A Wesley
Ticket Prices: Weekend Pass is $229 without camping or $249 with camping; Single-day ticket is $89
Lodging: On-site camping is available; see above for pricing
Why you should go: Celebrate the 4th of July by supporting Nateva, which in their first year has lined up some quality talent with a nice cast of local bands to boot.

Green River Festival: July 17 & 18
Pioneer Valley – Greenfield, Massachusetts
Website: www.greenriverfestival.com
Headliners: Old Crow Medicine Show, Cake
Supporting Cast: Allen Toussaint, Gendalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Calexico, The Felice Brothers, Chatham County Line, Red Stick Ramblers, Lake Street Drive, Anais Micthell
New England Bands: Rumblebucket, The Low Anthem
Ticket Prices: 2-day passes are $59.95 in advance, Single-day tickets are $39.95 in advance
Lodging: Hotel/Home
Why you should go: Hit Western Massachusetts for the weekend and enjoy some quality music while you’re there.

Gathering of the Vibes Music and Arts Festival: July 29 – August 1
Seaside Park, Bridgeport, Conneticut
Website: www.gatheringofthevibes.com
Headliners: Furthur, Primus, Damian Marley & Nas
Supporting Cast: Dark Star Orchestra, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Rhythm Devils fetauring Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann & Keller Williams, Jimmy Cliff, Umphrey’s McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Galactic, Little Feat, Martin Sexton with the Ryan Montbleau Band, Assembly of Dust
New England Bands: Hot Day At The Zoo, The McLovins
Ticket Prices: 4-Day passes are $197.50; Single -day tickets are $50 and $65 (depending on day)
Lodging: On-site camping is available and included in weekend pass prices with a $20 per vehicle charge to park (collected at the gate)
Why you should go: Looking for some funk? Well, jam on in Connecticut with a festival that echoes the Bonnaroo days of old.

George Wein’s Newport Folk Festival: July 30 – August 1
International Tennis Hall of Fame & Fort Adams State Park – Newport, Rhode Island
Website: www.newportfolkfest.net
Headliners: Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, John Prine, The Levon Helm Band
Supporting Cast: Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, The Swell Season, The Avett Brothers, Andrew Bird, Calexico, Brandi Carlile, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Richie Havens, Blitzen Trapper, The Felice Brothers
New England Bands: The Low Anthem
Ticket Prices: 2-Day Festival passes are $125, Single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $69 in advance ($75 on festival weekend), Tickets for Friday’s kick-off concert range in price from $30 to $85
Lodging: Hotel/Home
Why you should go: A must for any music fan in New England. The historic festival enjoyed one of their best yet last summer and this year looks to be another gem.

Soulfest: August 4-7
Gunstock Mountain – Gilford, New Hampshire
Website: www.thesoulfest.com
Headliners: Switchfoot, TobyMac, Mercy Me, Jars of Clay
Supporting Cast: Kutless, Matt Maher, Shane & Shane, Barlow Girl, The OC Supertones, The Chariot, Superchic[k], Matthew West, Flatfoot 56, Sanctus Real, Maylene & the Sons of Disaster, Hawk Nelson
New England Bands: Jon Niven
Ticket Prices: 4-Day passes start at $119, Single-day tickets start at $35 and $42.50 (depending on the day)
Lodging: On-site camping is available for purchase, starting at $145
Why you should go: Fan of Christian Rock? well, then you probably already know this is the best (maybe, only) way to see the genre’s best talent in New England.

CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport: August 6-8, 2010
International Tennis Hall of Fame & Fort Adams State Park – Newport, Rhode Island
Website: www.newportjazzfest.net
Headliners: Jamie Cullum, Chick Corea Freedom Band, Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti
Supporting Cast: Ahmad Jamal, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jazz Mafia’s Brass, Bows and Beats, Anat Cohen, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Jon Faddis Quartet, Amina Figerova Sextet, Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Jason Moran & The Bandwagon
New England Bands: Grace Kelly
Ticket Prices: 2-Day Festival passes are $125, Single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday range in price from $69 to $100, Tickets for Friday’s kick-off concert range in price from $40 to $100
Lodging: Hotel/Home
Why you should go: Another must for any New England music fan. A truly historic event that always delivers a good time and great music.

Rhythm & Roots Festival: September 3-5, 2010
Ninigret Park – Charlestown, Rhode Island
Website: www.rhythmandroots.com
Headliners: TBA
Supporting Cast: Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Johnny Nicholas and the Texas All Stars, The Texas Tornadoes, Marcia Ball, Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women, Bonerama, Uncle Earl, Red Stick Ramblers, Planet Zydeco, Hot Tamale Brass Band
New England Bands: None
Ticket Prices: Early Bird Ticket Sale is now available through June 30: 3-day passes are $110 (full price is $130) with camping or $110 without, Single-day tickets range in price from $25 to $45 (deepening on the day, $30 to $50 at the gate)
Lodging: On-site camping is available and can be included with ticket purchase (see above)
Why you should go: Enjoy Labor Day weekend by going camping in Rhode Island and enjoying some great music at the same time.

Life Is Good Festival: September 12 & 13
Blue Hills – Canton, Massachusetts
Website: www.lifeisgood.com/festivals
Headliners: TBA
Supporting Cast: TBA
New England Bands: TBA
Ticket Prices: TBA
Lodging: Hotel/Home
Why you should go: We’re still waiting on the details but with the producers of Bonnaroo helping out, something tells us this is an event not to be missed!