Saturday, May 1, is a key date for the state of West Virginia and its residents and not just because it’s a Saturday or May Day.
May 1 is the target date when fairs, festivals, and other events can resume being held in the Mountain State, ending more than a year’s worth of disappointment and cancellations.
One of those festivals making a return is the much-anticipated Back Home Festival in New Martinsville. Slated for June 25-27, the Back Home Festival is a three-day free music festival that has drawn increasing numbers to the Wetzel County seat. The one good thing for event organizer Robby Parsons from the Wetzel County Convention & Visitors Bureau is that the cancellation of the 2020 event made planning this year’s all the easier.
The lineup mostly stayed the same, which is a good thing. The 2020 fest was shaping up to have a killer lineup.
“The lineup was basically booked in 2019,” Parsons said. “We added a couple of things, but it’s pretty much the same lineup. There were a couple of additions, but we’re just basically tweaking things (overall) at this point.”
Back Home Festival Lineup
That lineup consists of some big names, including Melvin Seals & JGB, Sam Bush, Ekoostik Hookah, EmiSunshine & THE RAIN, and a whole host of others slated to perform. It figures to be an entertaining mixture of the bluegrass sound which has been a staple of the Back Home Festival since its inception and more jam-band style performances.
Saturday, in particular, should to attract a massive audience with both Melvin Seals and Ekoostik Hookah taking the stage.
Hookah has a dedicated fan base that travels from region to region to pack festival shows, including ones it headlines. Meanwhile, Melvin Seals was an integral part of the Jerry Garcia Band for 18 years, working his wizardry on his Hammond B-3 organ.
Seals and his band will serve up an eclectic mix of blues, funk, rock, and jazz, with a little gospel thrown in.
“Being on the same day, a lot of the same people there to see Hookah are there to see Melvin Seals, but we’re living in a different world so honestly, I don’t know what to expect.
“But I think people are ready to party, but that, too, is kind of scary in the world we live in.”
Full Speed Ahead, Mostly
Before anyone starts to worry, the festival is on. Parsons is looking forward to it just as much as, if not more than, all the anticipated fans in attendance.
But he’s not oblivious to the situation the country is slowing crawling itself out of. Safety is also a major concern of his, just as much as presenting a great experience.
“My hope is that come June 25, there’s herd immunity in the United States,” Parsons said. “I will say, if it’s not safe to have it, we won’t have it. Being a free festival and not ticketed, there’s no way to predict how many people will show up.
“We can’t really set up pods. We can ask people to distance the best they can, but it’s a weird situation not knowing what to expect in terms of numbers.”
Parsons said he and his group have had internal discussions with a target date of June 1 to make a final decision. They have a target number for percentage of the population to be vaccinated.
He didn’t specify the exact number. He applauded West Virginia for the high numbers of its citizens already fully vaccinated or well on their way. Parsons also noted this festival draws national attention and attendance, so it can’t just be based on West Virginia residents.
“If June 1 comes and it looks like we haven’t turned that corner and the percentage of the population hasn’t been vaccinated, we’ll call it off and plan for 2022.
“It’s not something we want to do, but everyone in the organization has been hyper vigilant about COVID from the get-go. The last thing we want to do is endanger our community.”
As Parsons stated, there’s no way to predict the exact numbers of attendees at a free festival, but there are a few indicators that a large number of folks are heading to New Martinsville in late June. For one, there’s the camping numbers. True, that like the festival, traditional camping, i.e., tents, is free. However, those wishing to partake in RV camping must reserve spots ahead of time. And those reservations?
“We’ve had twice as many RV camping applications this year as we’ve had in all the previous years combined,” Parsons said.
The same goes for vendor permits. There’s a limited number of food vendor spots on the festival grounds, so perspective vendors must apply for potential selection.
Parsons relayed that more vendors have applied for a permit than ever before, as well. Given the lack of space, the food vendors are selected from the list of applications based on what organizers feel is best. You can’t have multiple stands selling the same item. Variety is paramount.
“The best we can do is pick the one’s we feel are the best, send an invitation, and go from there,” Parsons said.
Yes, It’s Still Free
There’s no admission free to the Back Home Festival. Just show up, bring a lawn chair or blanket, sit down, and enjoy the good vibes and great music.
While far fewer people inquire about the lack of cost with an eye toward skepticism, Parsons admits there are still a few each summer who double check just to be safe.
“I get that question all the time, mostly from the Internet. People will message and want to know what the catch is,” Parsons said. “I think, especially in the first two years, I got it a lot. It’s not as often now that word is out that we’re the real deal. But in the past, it was hard to convince someone that there wasn’t a catch.”
Now the final prep work begins with an eye toward the calendar. June 1, after all, is approaching, but Parsons has a good feeling things will go off without a hitch.
“I’m fairly certain we’re going to have it,” he added. “We’re close to the number we want to hit, and the governor has started to loosen things up as far as fairs and festivals are concerned.”
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