Green River Festival returns to Greenfield with world-class music lineup

GREENFIELD — It might not be Coachella, Lollapalooza, or Bonnaroo, but as music fests go in the area, it’s “tops.”

This weekend’s 39th Green River Festival — named one of “50 essential summer music festivals by The New York Times — offers a world-class lineup of over 40 acts on four stages, some of the best in local food, beer and wine, handmade crafts at The Makers Market, and a wide array of kid’s activities.

It all begins on Friday, June 20, for three days on the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield.

“We are a world class music festival with a laid-back atmosphere,” said festival director John Sanders in an interview with The Republican.

This year’s headliners on the Main Stage — among a mix of indie, rock, Americana, international stars, funk, reggae, pop and more — are Mt. Joy on Friday, Courtney Barnett on Saturday, and Waxahatchee on Sunday.

The Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based band Mt. Joy has made their mark with three acclaimed albums over the past six years, featuring multiple singles that have gone No. 1 on ‘Triple A’ radio stations and amassed millions of Spotify streams.

A deft lyricist and virtuosic guitarist, Courtney Barnett is an emblem of millennial wit and one of Australia’s most successful musical exports. Garnering a coveted Best New Artist Grammy nomination and numerous other accolades, her 2015 debut album “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” is considered as a generational classic.

Katie Crutchfield, who performs under the moniker Waxahatchee, is one of the hardest working singer-songwriters in the game. While her sound has evolved from lo-fi folk to lush alt-tinged country over six critically acclaimed albums, her voice has always remained the same: honest and close, poetic with Southern lilting. On her 2024 Grammy-nominated album,” Tigers Blood,” Crutchfield emerges as a powerhouse – with NPR writing “Some of these songs sound ready to run, bursting from the traps; others take their ease with intoxicating beauty.”

The three headliners will be joined over several days on the Main Stage, Dean’s Bean Stage, Back Porch Stage and Round House Stage by MJ Lenderman & The Wind, Kevin Morby, Danielle Ponder, La Lom, Kabaka Pyramid, BALTHVS, Ocie Elliott, Kathleen Edwards, FutureBirds, Illuminati Hotties, Mo Lowda & The Humble, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Torres, Reyna Tropical, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Leyla McCalla, Thee Sinseers, The Altons, Chaparelle, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, Merce Lemon, Jeremie Albino, Chicha Libre, Stephen Kellogg, Thus Love, Dogpark, Olive Klug, Truman Sinclair, Coral Moons, Funky Dawgz Brass Band, Mark Mulcahy, Winterpills, Ali McGuirk, Maison Electronique, Kimaya Diggs, Matt Hebert & The Lonesome Brothers, The GrownUp Noise, bobbie, All Feels, Lost Film, Silvie’s Okay and The Gaslight Tinkers.

Many food trucks rolling onto the fairgrounds will be offering everything from ethnic specialties to everyday treats such as hamburgers, French fries, hot dogs and more. Serving up a big menu to choose from, food trucks include Anon’s Thai Cuisine, All Things Maple, Binge BBQ, Berrysweets, Broccoli Bar, Crooked Stick Pops, Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee, Divided Pie, Fancheezical, Ginger Love Cafe, Hometown Poke and Bubble Tea, La Veracruzana, LemoNates, Macho Taco, Mach’s Woodfired Pizza, Miso Toh Kome, P’Frogi, Pinky Toe Chai, Riff’s, Roadhouse Grille, Rough Cop, Shree’s Kitchen, The Skinny Pancake, Ting Ting Dumplings, Twin Beaks Fried Chicken, Wake the Dead Donuts, and Yahso Jamaican Food Truck.

There also will be plenty of cooling libations on tap at this year’s festival with many beverage stations to meet the needs of festivalgoers.

“We listened to the feedback last year that we weren’t pouring enough local beers. So, this year we are partnering with six local breweries within a 40-mile radius of the festival,” Sanders said, adding that among the breweries on hand will be Amherst Brewing, Leadfoot Brewing and Berkshire Brewing. “In fact, Amherst Brewing will be selling a special edition beer at our festival that they are calling Green River IPA.”

Wine and hard seltzers, nonalcoholic beers and Polar seltzers, as well as soda and other cooling concoctions are also on tap.

You can sit and rest with your food and drink, or carry it with you for a shopping extravaganza in the Maker’s Market presented by Hope & Feathers Framing and Printing, now located in barns on the fairgrounds. Shoppers will find unique gemstone jewelry, authentic Mexican leather goods, hand-printed T-shirts, creative beadwork, handblown glass art, wild tie-dyes, upcycled clothing, handmade pottery, colorful stickers, and more. You can also add to your day’s attire with flower crowns, hair braiding, face painting, and henna body art. And for some extra relaxation after dancing all day, you can sign up for a massage session.

“Our festival is reflective of the entire community of western Massachusetts, and it is our goal to make everyone welcome,” Sanders said.

While youngsters attending the festival may find plenty of music to their liking and dance the day away, the newly-expanded Green River Festival Kidway will provide a haven for children of all ages with fun activities and entertainment for the entire family.

Late morning and early afternoon performances on Saturday include Mister G and the Cactus Head Puppets, while Sunday will feature Little Roots and Tanglewood Marionettes.

The Art Garden’s tent and barn are filled with free activities for festivalgoers to create, explore, play, and make art. Art Garden volunteers have spent weeks preparing repurposed materials for creative reuse, including thousands of cardboard creatures for people to paint and carry in the Green River Parade.

This year’s Green River Festival Parade will be led by Funky Dawgs Brass Band and will also feature puppets from Cheli Mennella of Source Studios. All are welcome to join the parade — and those that wish to should plan to meet at the Art Garden at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday with music playing from 4-10:30 p.m. On Saturday, gates open at 11 a.m., with the music playing from noon-10:30 p.m., and on Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m. with the music playing from noon-8:30 p.m.

Tickets, available in advance on the Green River Festival website, start at $99.99 plus fees for a one-day pass. Two-day passes are available at $154.99 and a three-day pass is $199.99. Kids 12 and under are free, with two allowed per paid adult admission.

Advance tickets can only be ordered until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday night, June 19. After that, tickets will only be available at the door, priced at $110 for one day, $165 for two-day and $225 for three-day passes. Additional fees will be applied at the door for credit card sales. VIP upgrades are also available. Three-day teen passes with proof of age required upon entry (photocopy of a birth certificate, passport or other form of age identification) are available for $99.99.

On-site parking tickets are nearly sold out; however, the Town of Greenfield is waving all parking fees on street and in municipal lots.

Free shuttle buses are available from Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center on 289 Main St. in the center of Greenfield. Shuttles run on Friday from 2 to 11:30 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Franklin County Fairgrounds is located at 89 Wisdom Way in Greenfield.

For more information visit greenriverfestival.com or their Facebook page for the most up-to-date information.

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