By Allison Williams
JOHANNESBURG- In mid-August, more than 600 individuals came out to the earthy woods of Johannesburg for Farmfest, a folk roots music festival that has taken place nearly every year since 1998 when the site was constructed. The site features a main stage, second stage, drum kiva, vendors area, kids’ area, healing pavilion, multiple fire circles, and plenty of room for both RV camping and tent camping for the weekend. Those who came out appreciated a weekend full of music, delicious food, and community.
While the vendors were captivating, the music was most certainly the main event at Farmfest. With a variety of performers, many coming from Northern Michigan, Farmfest offers many different genres of music for listeners. For The Third Degree, a band out of Petoskey, Michigan, this was their first time performing at Farmfest. They told us “It was an absolute blast! Performing on the main was so much fun and the hospitality from those involved was amazing. We can’t wait to come back!”
The organizers of the event were extremely satisfied with the turnout, though the festival has capacity for more. “We had more than last year and are working on growing the attendance slowly and adding new things each year,” he said. “This year we added silent disco which was a great hit along with the slipnslide, healing pavilion workshops with yoga, and we even had a magician and hypnotist wowing our crowds.”
Families continue to come back and the spirit of Farmfest lives on through generations. The event is expected to continue annually for the foreseeable future. Be sure to check them out next year!
