Get ready to have a rocking and rolling great time at the third annual Fall Music Festival on Saturday, September 14 from 2-9 p.m. at the beautiful outdoor music amphitheater courtesy of the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary.
The majestic pines will be swaying to the music, the birds will be happily singing –all of nature wild and free! A diverse musical lineup donating their time will include O & Co., Gram Baxtr, Ballard Spahr Galactica and Steppin’ Eddy. Tasty food supplied by Dan Figura Concessions will include cheesesteaks, sausage & peppers, burgers, hot dogs, pierogies, tater tots, fries and fruit cups. Dan will also be donating all proceeds from his water & lemonade sales. So BYOB along with a lawn chair or blanket, relax, eat, sing, dance, meet new friends and know you’re supporting a wonderful cause!
Background
This annual event came about when a group of friends in Wayne County, who all experienced the untimely death of loved ones, found a way to turn their deep pain and grief into something positive. While leaning on and supporting one another, their shared tragedy inspired them to create an event that would bring people together to honor and memorialize their beloved family members. These lifelong friends, Jamie Rutherford, Bob Carmody, Todd Stephens, Joe Gombita and Joe Adams realized the best healing therapy besides friendship is music. And with this camaraderie and wish to give back to the community, the annual Fall Music Festival was conceived. This original group has grown exponentially, and as more friends join together, a truly caring team effort has helped them to collectively share a common goal. That is to literally “grow the goodness”!
The organizers all agree music is a way to connect with each other, has a profound impact on emotional well-being, can trigger memories that transport us back to special occasions and remind us of our loved ones. Also, songs can evoke happy times and help raise our spirits. “Songs linger forever in both our minds and our hearts, and the healing power of music is real,” says Jamie Rutherford. To these friends the festival represents a way to move forward after times of great sorrow, focus on uplifting experiences with family and friends, and at the same time help to support others in Wayne County, a community their family members all loved and called home.
Proceeds
All proceeds will go to scholarship funds that would have been meaningful to those family members gone too soon and include: The Robert F. Diehl Jr. Fund, Kate Frisch Carmody Fund, Kelley Lalley Fund, Jerry “Jake” Hopkins Fund, Jake Burkhardt Fund, Mike Chesna Fund, Brian Hunt-Rutherford Fund and Fall Music Festival Music Scholarship Fund.
Tickets
Tickets to the festival are available from Stephens Pharmacy, Visible Changes, Mane Creations, ReMax Wayne and Jennz Cafe in Honesdale, The Dock at Silver Birches and I.G.A Supermarket in Hawley, the Crossroads in Waymart and Comprehensive Physical Therapy in Forest City. Ticket prices for the benefit concert are $20 pre-buy and $25 at the door the day of the event.
Why not make a day of it?
Between 9:30 and 11 a.m. nature lovers can participate in a walk on one of the sanctuary’s many lovely and pristine walking trails in honor of “Kate’s Wish” to help further research for lung cancer. After the walk, sit back and enjoy the music by Two Chicks, One Guitar from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
The rain date for the Fall Music Festival is Sunday, Sept. 15, from 12-6 p.m. If it rains on the 15th, it will be moved to the Wayne County Fairgrounds, 4-H Auction Barn.
The Dorflinger-Suydam amphitheater is located at 55 Suydam Drive in White Mills. Like The Fall Festival on our Facebook page!
September 2019 Issue