2023 Schedule of Events

Check below to see when all of our great bands, disc dogs, and entertainers are performing!

Click on the + to the right of each act for more information.

Friday

Gates open at 3pm

3pm- Gerry Grimo - East Bay Jazz

Join us on Friday at 3pm to kick off Festival Weekend!

Gerry Grimo & East Bay Jazz has a performing history dating back to its founding in Rhode Island in 1976.  Its musical ensemble style is reminiscent of the classic dance bands and show bands of the mid-20th century.  In fact, many of the ensemble’s musical arrangements of the swing; Blues; R&B; vocal, and Jazz Classics in its repertoire come from that time period. 

East Bay Jazz continues to perform throughout New England with a core of musicians that live in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island under the direction and management of Gerry Grimo of Windsor, Vt.

             

 

Main Stage

*all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

5:00pm - VINS

                    

Vermont Institute of Natural Science Live falcons, hawks and owls provide the lens through which we examine food webs, predator-prey relationships and the interdependence of the systems that support life. This first-hand encounter enables participants to understand the defining characteristics that make a bird a raptor and their adaptations for life as a predator on the wing. Touchable artifacts and hands-on materials round out this special experience.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

6:00pm - Carlos Ocasio & Frydaddy

Led by Carlos Ocasio, the Frydaddy band has been serving up a spicy gumbo of rockin’ soul in the Upper Valley for close to 30 years. A few members have changed, but the attention to musical styles has not. With influences and covers ranging from James Brown to Carlos Santana, in addition to soulful originals, Ocasio and the band have enjoyed opening for national acts and playing for private venues across New England.

 *All live music and entertainment are included with admission which is good all weekend!*

6:00pm - Evening Balloon Ascension

Evening Ascension of the festivals more than 20 Balloons!
Ascensions are wind and weather permitting.

Book a Balloon Ride Here!Learn more about each pilot >

Dusk - Balloon Glow

    Robin Ogden 4 balloon-glow

 

Come see the festival light up with the our magical balloons at the Balloon Glow starting at dusk – wind and weather permitting.

 

 

Click on the + to the right of each act for more information.

Saturday

Gates open at 5:30am

6:00am - Morning Balloon Ascension

Ascensions are wind and weather permitting.??????????????????????

Book a Balloon Ride Here!

Learn more about each pilot >

Join us for breakfast and the morning ascension!

10am - Pups in the Air

The 2022 Pups In The Air are back and better than ever! We have lots of new canine performers (Puppies!!) this year. Don’t miss some of the country’s top, award-winning freestyle disc doggers, performing amazing athletic moves that will not see anywhere else. Be sure to arrive early to reserve a great seat around our field. And we challenge you to catch photos of those quick-moving canines and they fly through the air chomping their beloved frisbees. And don’t forget to come by after the show to meet and greet some of those adorable canines.

Balloon Field

10am - 12pm - 2pm - Skyhigh Sky Diving Team Demonstration

jumptown

Landing on the Balloon Field

10:30am- Rob Oxford & Americana's Most Wanted

Their repertoire includes songs made famous by such artists as: Woodie Guthrie, Simon & Garfunkel, Merle Travis, Elvis, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, John Denver, and many more!

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

12:00pm - Robert Clarke

 

Comedy magician Robert Clarke will amaze you with his charming with and high energy dexterity.  Lot’s of comedy magic and mentalism that is INTERACTIVE and jaw-dropping.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

1:00pm - Ali T

Alison Turner, better known as Ali T, is a singer-songwriter (guitar/voice) based in Vermont. Once described as “a less-neurotic Alanis Morissette”, the songstress records and performs a heartfelt and unique style of alternative/indie-pop. Having started writing songs at the age of seven, and picking up the guitar when she was 11, Ali has developed into an introspective songwriter and versatile performer. Vermont’s Seven Days named AliT a finalist for Best Vocalist and Best Pop Artist 2018-2022. She was also a 2022 nominee in the New England Music Awards.

She has released two albums, “Smoke & Mirrors” (2019) and “The Makeover” (2021), which is a remastered and reworked collection of original songs from her past. Songs have been featured on radio stations across the region, including Vermont’s The Point, VPR, as well as Boston’s The River.

 Ali typically performs 150+ shows per year. She used her pandemic time to create – producing a music video for a new single, “Down (Wonderland)” and writing songs for her next album. Two more singles followed – “Monsters & Demons” (Oct. 2021) and her first holiday tune, “Snowed In” (Dec. 2021).

 Ali’s third and entirely self-produced album, “Pancakes At Midnight” was released in March 2023. You can visit sheisalit.com for music and more.

Main Stage

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

2:00pm - Robert Clarke

 

Comedy magician Robert Clarke will amaze you with his charming with and high energy dexterity.  Lot’s of comedy magic and mentalism that is INTERACTIVE and jaw-dropping.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

2pm - Pups in the Air

The 2022 Pups In The Air are back and better than ever! We have lots of new canine performers (Puppies!!) this year. Don’t miss some of the country’s top, award-winning freestyle disc doggers, performing amazing athletic moves that will not see anywhere else. Be sure to arrive early to reserve a great seat around our field. And we challenge you to catch photos of those quick-moving canines and they fly through the air chomping their beloved frisbees. And don’t forget to come by after the show to meet and greet some of those adorable canines.

Balloon Field

3:30pm- Ida Mae Specker

A 3rd generation fiddle player, Ida Mae was born in a one room cabin in the woods of Vermont. Along with her older sister Lila, she learned to play the fiddle at a very early age from her father John Specker.

Vermont Public Radio’s Robert Resnik calls the Specker family “Vermont Folk Heroes.” The Speckers have been performing since 2005 and are renowned for “playing a rambunctious version of old-time music that owes as much to punk rock as Appalachia, at least in attitude.” (Seven Days VT).

As a solo performer, Ida Mae fuses original, contemporary, and traditional material, bringing heartfelt new life and relevance to the chain of American folk music. Her EP of original music, ‘Billy in the Heartland,’ was released in December 2019. During the winter of 2020-2021, Ida Mae guest-hosted Vermont Public Radio’s folk and world music show “All The Traditions,” which she recorded from her home. In December 2021, Ida Mae was awarded a grant from the Vermont Arts Council to record live in-studio performance videos highlighting her solo work. Ida Mae is currently in the process of recording a new EP of original music and traditional folk songs to be released in Spring 2022. In addition to performing her original material as a solo performer or with a full band, she is a member of traditional old-time string bands Terrible Mountain Stringband and The Speckers (fiddle, vocals), and is a member of the all-female, folk-punk trio The Break Maids (drums, fiddle, vocals).

Ida Mae loves being a part of the blossoming local music scene in Vermont and is always pursuing new opportunities to collaborate and develop as an artist. idamaespecker.com

Main Stage

*all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

5:00pm- The Raq-ettes

The Raq-ettes are a performing troupe made up of professional and student dancers from Raq-On Dance Studio. Raq-On Dance is an inclusive dance community that promotes body positivity, and has been fostering fearless curves in Upper Valley for over a decade. No matter your shape, age, color, or gender you can count on feeling welcome in class. The Raq-ettes perform dances from Egypt, various parts of the Middle East, and what most people know in America today as Belly Dance. Raq-On Provides weekly classes, online offerings, live music shows, tours to Egypt, and hosts the largest and longest running Belly Dance Festival in New England. Visit raq-on.net for more information.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

6:00pm- Prydein

Whether you call it Celtic-rock, kilt-rock, bagpipe rock, Scottish-rock or even Sham-rock, Prydein delivers a high-energy performance loved by young and old.  Prydein: Bagpipe Rock

Main Stage

*all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

6:00pm - Evening Balloon Ascension

Evening Ascension of the festivals more than 20 Balloons!Jim Keefe 010
Ascensions are wind and weather permitting.

Book a Balloon Ride Here!Learn more about each pilot >

Dusk - Balloon Glow

Robin Ogden 4 balloon-glow

 

Come see the festival light up with the our magical balloons at the Balloon Glow starting at dusk – wind and weather permitting.

 

 

Click on the + to the right of each act for more information.

Sunday

Gates open at 5:30am

6:00am - Morning Balloon Ascension

Ascensions are wind and weather permitting.??????????????????????

Book a Balloon Ride Here!

Learn more about each pilot >

 Join us for breakfast and the morning ascension!

10:00am - Pups in the Air

pups in the aie

The 2022 Pups In The Air are back and better than ever! We have lots of new canine performers (Puppies!!) this year. Don’t miss some of the country’s top, award-winning freestyle disc doggers, performing amazing athletic moves that will not see anywhere else. Be sure to arrive early to reserve a great seat around our field. And we challenge you to catch photos of those quick-moving canines and they fly through the air chomping their beloved frisbees. And don’t forget to come by after the show to meet and greet some of those adorable canines.

Balloon Field

10am - 12pm - 2pm Skyhigh Skydiving Demonstration

jumptown

Landing on the Balloon Field

11:00am - Shady Rill

Patti Casey and Tom MacKenzie are two of central Vermont’s musical gems. Together they explore everything from French Canadian dance tunes, to Tin Pan Alley, to Old Time Country, with a healthy dose of originals.

Patti is an award winning songwriter and her voice will melt your heart.  Tom’s Banjo and voice are a perfect compliment, as the two of them weave their way through the many styles of traditional based songs and tunes.  You will leave one of their performances with toes tapping and a smile on your face.

With careers that collectively span decades and richly diverse musical influences that stretch from the British Isles to deep Appalachia, Tom and Patti breathe new depth and present a refreshing take on traditional acoustic music. They will happily make your event shine, or charm any audience with their Hammered Dulcimer, Flute, Banjo, Guitar, Keyboard, Ukulele, seated clogging, and fine humor. https://shadyrillmusic.com/

 

Main Stage

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

 

12:30pm- Robert Clarke
 

Comedy magician Robert Clarke will amaze you with his charming with and high energy dexterity.  Lot’s of comedy magic and mentalism that is INTERACTIVE and jaw-dropping.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

1:30pm - The Outcrops

From the woods of Northern New Jersey, the Outcrops bring original blues-infused rock’n’roll. The four-piece band was formed in 2016 by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Cassidy Rain & lead guitarist Bryan Schroeder. As a singer, Cassidy has been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi but her raw sensibility as front person could as easily bring comparisons to blues legends like Howlin Wolf or Muddy Waters.  Bryan’s playing falls somewhere between Duane Allman and Derek Trucks, as many fans have pointed out.  Bryan has also noted Jerry Garcia as a major influence.  His long flowing lead lines throughout songs intertwine with Cassidy’s vocal phrases to create a very melodic sound that sets the tone for The Outcrops. The rhythm section of the band includes a rotating cast of bass players and Max Adler on drums. The rhythm section brings a funk and soul feel that melds wonderfully with Cassidy and Bryan creating the perfect band tag: Rock & Roll, Blues & Soul.theoutcrops.com

 

Main Stage

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

2:00pm - Pups in the Air

The 2022 Pups In The Air are back and better than ever! We have lots of new canine performers (Puppies!!) this year. Don’t miss some of the country’s top, award-winning freestyle disc doggers, performing amazing athletic moves that will not see anywhere else. Be sure to arrive early to reserve a great seat around our field. And we challenge you to catch photos of those quick-moving canines and they fly through the air chomping their beloved frisbees. And don’t forget to come by after the show to meet and greet some of those adorable canines.

 

Balloon Field

3:00pm - Robert Clarke

 

 

Comedy magician Robert Clarke will amaze you with his charming with and high energy dexterity.  Lot’s of comedy magic and mentalism that is INTERACTIVE and jaw-dropping.

Entertainment Tent

 *all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

4:00pm- Mamadou

No other band performs with such a command of African poly-rhythms and as high an energy as MAMADOU. Performing original songs and arrangements, MAMADOU has developed a unique sound that WILL GET YOU TO DANCE!! The rhythms that emanate from MAMADOU are infectious, and have to be experienced to be understood. The truly multicultural band is led by the immensely talented Mamadou Diop (pronounced ‘maa-maa-doo jop’).

Prior to coming to the United States, Mamadou Diop (known throughout West Africa as Modou Diop) was a recognized rhythm guitarists from Senegal with a unique approach to music. He toured Africa, Europe, and Canada performing with some of Senegal’s most noted musicians and bands (including those of Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal, Youssou N’Dour, Thione Seck, etc.).

Today, Mamadou resides in Massachusetts, constantly writing and arranging new materials that are introduced routinely in front of live audiences. Surrounded by some of the top musicians in New England, he and his band are ready to bring their creations to you! mamadou.com

 

 Main Stage

*all live music and entertainment is included with admission which is good all weekend!*

6:00pm - Evening Balloon Ascension

Evening Ascension of the festivals more than 20 Balloons!Jim Keefe 010

Ascensions are wind and weather permitting.

Book a Balloon Ride Here!
Learn more about each pilot >