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It can be wild and wooly, in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, even at the height of summer. Locals are used to it, but it
caught many of the young urbanites unprepared. T-shirts were not enough, especially wet ones. Of course, some festival veterans came prepared after enduring torrential rain from Hurricane Bertha the year before in Fair Haven on the western side of the state.
But, never mind, July 19th's day-long affair in a field just outside the town of Hardwick appears to have been a success
The music by reggae artists such as Edie Fitzroy and a dozen or so others was not for everybody, but the atmosphere was. It was like a young
mini-Woodstock with the emphasis on promoting good vibes. About 15,000 people came, some from as far away as Alaska, though Vermonters made up the bulk of the fans
Whether you are young or old, the festival is a spectacle that most people can enjoy, if only for a couple of hours. If you are into mountain biking on
picturesque unpaved roads, you can avoid the parking hassle and appreciate the countryside a bit more. If search out our mountain bike route on this site,
there's some advice on where you might leave your vehicle.
Some of the performers for this year's festival...
Anthony B
Burning Spear
Cleon
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Will gunfire disrupt this year's Vermont Reggae Festival on July 18th?
A perceived uproar over the way some Vermont Reggae Fest participants may have behaved at last year's event in Hardwick may not be what it
seems. Recent reports by conventional media say that Karen Shaw, a local dairy farmer is threatening to mount armed patrols of her land to ensure that Reggae revellers do
not trespass.
Besides her dairy operation, Ms. Shaw maybe concerned about her collection of old farm equipment and junked cars, near the site of the festival. She
claims that vandals punctured her white silage bales by trampling on them, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Not only that, the revellers left
all manner of waste in one of her fields. She received $7,000 in damages from the festival's insurance company but claims this isn't enough
Neighbors tell a different story, saying that there were more police than ever before at last year's June festival. It would have been virtually impossible
for vandals to have done any significant damage. In any case, they point out that the so-called contaminated silage was fed to Mrs. Shaws cows without
incident, so perhaps the loss was not as great as it might have seemed.
Wendel Shepard, a 70 year old farmer, who owns 350 acres next to Ms. Shaw, can't understand why the ex-New Yorker is so upset. Mr. Shepard's house overlooks the
festival's grounds and the land on which it is held is owned by him.. He says there may have been one or two instances of trespassing but the organizers
went to great lengths to keep people from straying off the 30 acres of rented festival land and onto property owned by others such as the Shaws'. Also, he
points out that silage bags are made out of a very tough plastic which is hard to pierce.
Mr. Shepard says the Reggae Festival weekend is good for the economy of the area. He knows few that are opposed to the event, belying Ms. Shaw's
reported comment that Hardwick selectmen dare not oppose the festival less they be sued for racial discrimination!
Help Keep the Festival Alive by posting to ourReggae Festival Forum
Contact Reggae Festival Organizers and get information about the 1998 festival to be held in Hardwick on July 18th. The official web site for the
latest happenings is: www.vtreggaefest.org
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