Tag Archive for: festival

3RD ANNUAL RHYTHM AND BREWS FESTIVAL

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/6/19

Festival features live music, food, craft beer and wine

Saturday, October 26th at 5:30 pm

GREENSBORO, GA —Reynolds Lake Oconee and OPAS (Oconee Performing Arts Society) are excited to present the third annual Rhythm & Brews Festival. The festival will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Reynolds Lake Oconee’s historic Sandy Creek Barn.

Headlining the 2019 festival are five world-renowned rock stars, including Scott Stapp of Creed, Jason Scheff of Chicago, Emmerson Hart of Tonic, Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon and Don Barnes of .38 Special. Each veteran musician will be accompanied by the Nashville-based band SIXWIRE.

General admission is $150 and includes access to the craft beer and wine tasting, concert and shuttle service. For guests seeking the ultimate Rhythm & Brews experience, VIP tickets are available for $250 and include general admission access plus exclusive VIP amenities including a tasting experience inside the Sandy Creek Barn with special wine offerings, a VIP hospitality suite at the concert with complimentary food offerings, a dedicated cash bar and comfortable seating that includes a reserved seat during the concert.

“With a great music line up and more tasting and food options than ever before, this year’s Rhythm & Brews Festival is the don’t miss event of the fall,” said Ginger DiMascio, Business Director for OPAS.

The beer and wine garden will provide more than 30 craft selections for tasting and several award-winning food trucks will be on-site to provide culinary pairings. Guests must be 21 and older to attend.

Last year the festival brought in a total of 1200 attendees, doubling from its inaugural year in 2017. The festival has quickly become a local favorite event for residents and visitors alike, all while enhancing the cultural enrichment in the Lake Oconee area.

For more information on the festival and parking, visit http://www.opas.org/rhythm-brews.

SECOND ANNUAL ¡VIVA TEQUILA! FESTIVAL

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/6/19

Small-Batch Tequilas and Bites from Atlanta’s Best Chefs Bring True Taste of
Mexico’s Culture to Piedmont Park

Promenade at Piedmont Park at Noon

ATLANTA  – On Saturday, Oct. 26, famed tequila importer and connoisseur Juan Bonilla and Atlanta event producer Sean O’Keefe are hosting the second annual ¡Viva Tequila! Festival, a one-of-a-kind tequila tasting experience and cultural extravaganza that pairs 25 top Atlanta restaurants with 25 of the world’s finest boutique tequilas. Attendees also will enjoy live music and other performances, plus local and imported artisan goods. The high-end and high-spirited festivities, which benefit the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, take place under the tents at The Promenade at Piedmont Park.

“Our goal is to give guests a completely different understanding of how the spirit works in a gastronomic context. Many people have bad experiences with tequila when they are younger, but we are trying to teach them to give tequila another chance,” says Bonilla. “The greatest reward is how people’s perceptions change once they realize how good quality tequila tastes and how well it pairs with different types of food.”

The tasting event begins at 12:00 p.m. and includes unlimited access to small bites and top-shelf tequila pairings until 5 p.m. Offering incredible value, general admission ($75) to the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival also includes a DJ, live entertainment from traditional Mexican dancers to Mariachi bands, and vendors showcasing paintings, artifacts, clothing and jewelry. For attendees who want to continue the fun and experience live music plus even more exceptional tequilas, VIP tickets ($150) include access to the ¡Viva Noche! After Party from 6-9 p.m. In its inaugural event in 2018, the festival hosted 2,000 attendees and expects closer to 5,000 this year.

A portion of the festival’s proceeds benefits the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and educating women, their families and the health care community about risks, symptoms and treatment of ovarian cancer leading to earlier detection. Bonilla feels strongly about serving high-quality products that won’t increase the risk for diseases, and GOCA’s cause is one that is close to his heart.

Participating restaurants include, Casa Cielo, Loca Luna, Eclipse di Luna, Cabo’s Mexican Grill, Santa Lucia Brizilian Steakhouse, Seven Tequilas Mexican Restaurant, HOLA! Taqueria and Bar, La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant, Zocalo Mexican Kitchen and Cantina and Doraku. Each is paired with premium tequila brands not widely available in the United States such as Don Nacho, Don Fernando, Mi Tierra, Padre Azul, Don Celso and Siempre tequilas.

Differentiating itself from the multitude of other food and beverage festivals throughout Atlanta, the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival is a sipping event that showcases tequila’s diversity and how the spirit can be elevated with specific food pairings from Atlanta chefs. Bonilla is encouraging his guests to try food with the tequila and seeks to separate the spirit from the “shots on Cinco de Mayo” stereotype.

“People in the United States don’t see tequila as something you eat with, it’s seen as more of a party drink, but the reality is it’s one of the most expensive spirits on the planet,” says Bonilla. “We’re trying to get people to recognize why it tastes so good and the cost behind it.”

Bonilla’s family owned a great deal of land in the Mexican states of Jalisco and Michoacán, where tequila is produced, and he became passionate about and highly involved in the tequila industry from a young age. With first-hand experience farming and cooking the agave plants to producing the tequila, he went on to serve as an ambassador for the spirit and has been a tequila and mezcal importer for the past decade. Bonilla also holds one of the largest collections (over 400 bottles) in the world. “It’s so much more than the spirit for me; tequila represents the culture of Mexico,” he says.

For Bonilla, educating consumers is a year-round initiative that doesn’t end with the ¡Viva Tequila! Festival. He also offers a more intimate tequila dinner series throughout the year at local Atlanta-area restaurants to increase awareness and enjoyment of tequila in a different setting, and leads small group trips to Mexico for travelers interested in visiting distilleries and learning how tequila is produced.

The Promenade is an open-air venue located on the Greensward Path in Piedmont Park. Tickets to the festival are available for purchase on Eventbrite. Guests must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Wildwood Revival: Stay Awhile

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 10/5/19

Sip a mule, watch some music, stay awhile.

A few miles out of the hustle-and-bustle of the college town of Athens sits a farm with a beautiful plantation style home, several lean-tos, a barn, pastures, and everything you’d expect in rural Georgia. But this southern farm is only masquerading as a farm, it’s really a lively event venue and home to Wildwood Revival. Beyond Cloverleaf Farms’ ambiance, Wildwood Revival has turned the open-air barn into a juke joint full of music, while down yonder is the bar full of tasty treats, a pasture where people sit in their own tailgate chairs, and at the house, VIP sip and savor some unique treats. Wildwood Revival isn’t your typical festival, it’s laid back, chill, listen to some music, sip on a Kentucky Mule, eat some delicious local grub. Stay awhile.

The music itself had a little bit of everything from rock to country to southern rock, blues, blue grass, gospel. We saw The Texas Gentleman who are a mix of country, funk, southern rock. We did some research and found they have done back-up work for country legend George Strait. So, we get where they get some of their country roots, but their songs don’t sound country. They’re more what The Austin Chronicle calls, “eclectic country funk groove.” We concur. It’s a fun mix of genres that goes from toe tapping to soft piano ballads, like “Pain.*” Then there was Cedric Burnside, who was a mix of soulful guitar blues, with a hint of R&B. His music permeated the grounds and you could feel his music in the air. You could see it in the crowd that had gathered in the juke joint. Hoots, hollers, cheers erupted on this lazy Sunday afternoon!

Beyond the soulful, heartfelt performances by The Texas Gentleman and Cedric Burnside, they had some delicious local food, as well as craft beer and cocktails. We had the pulled pork plate from Maepole out of Athens and it the best music festival food we’ve ever had, ever. The pork was flavorful and tender. What really stuck out was the bean salad. It was a deep, savory flavor with a little spice and little sweet. They mix the beans and veggies with jalapenos, garlic, and cilantro. Also, everything they make on the side is vegan, so there’s no cheese in those grits! We also put a little bit of the spicy avocado on top and mixed up the salad, pork, and grits together. WOW! They mentioned they were going to open in Atlanta. CANNOT WAIT. We will be there with bells on!

After our delicious meal, they had local craft beer from Creature Comforts, as well as ASW Distillery on site with their whiskey and vodka. First off, ASW Distillery makes some great liquor, we really like their Lawn Dart product! We got a Kentucky Mule made with ginger beer, lime, and their Fiddler Unison Bourbon Whiskey. was like sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, sipping a refreshing cocktail and just watching the sunset type of feeling.

Kid friendly, they had a barn with an upstairs transformed into a chalk art area where the kids and the kid in you could create chalk art, color, and watch the acts outside the little window. We might or might not have colored in an octopus. At the end of the day, we enjoyed the over-all feel of Wildwood Revival. This “anti-festival” really is laid-back, relaxed, and makes you feel right at home. It’s a bring your chair, your camera, your family, make a day or a weekend of it festival. See you next year, Cloverleaf Farm.

*Research on their background/confirming song name Pain came from Austin Chronicle’s Hot Luck Review: The Texas Gentleman article 5/25/18.

Duluth Beer and Wine Festival 2019

Date: Saturday, October 5th

Time: Noon

About: The City of Duluth is teaming up with Atlanta Sport and Social Club to host a celebration of Beer and Wine on the Duluth Town Green. Join us on Saturday, October 5th from 12:00pm-5:00pm to sample 75+ craft beers and 25+ wines. The day will feature live local music from Citizen Gold and The Night Howlers, beer and wine samples, a variety of local food trucks, an adult game zone, plus community vendors and artists. Tickets include souvenir tasting glass, admission to the event, live music, and all beer and wine samples. They are $36 at the time of posting and will increase as we get closer to the festival.

More Information:

https://www.bigtickets.com/events/assc/duluth-beer-and-wine-festival

Imagine Music Festival 2019: Can You Feel It?

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/30/19

There’s something about the electricity in the air during a late-night set at Imagine Music Festival. The crowd is excited and filled with anticipation. The weather is cooler than it was all day, so the light breeze is inviting and soothing. Then, the artists pump out heart pounding beats that sets the mood. It’s one of those experiences you can’t get anywhere else than an EDM festival in fall. You’d also be astounded how many festival-goers these types of acts draw! Let’s just call it a “sea.” It’s just amazing how many people are all dancing in time! Let’s dive into 2019 Imagine Music Festival!

When you’re at these types of festivals, there are two unique experiences you can have: FEELING the sound up front or a little more immersive over-all experience out back. The photo pit is a totally different experience than when you observe from a-far. Up front, you see all the sights and sounds looming tall, but it really strikes you when that bass picks up and it really is about FEELING the sound. The further back you go, the sound and lights dance together, and it becomes a little more about both/immersive. You feel us? Which would you rather or would you try for both?

This year, we watched several acts including Above and Beyond, Ghastly, KSHMR, and Zeds Dead and they all had something different and unique to offer Imagine EDM lovers. We think people misconstrue electronic dance music as simply DJ work. It isn’t. It’s original and has all the elements you’d find in other genres, just packaged in a different way. Here’s a little about each of the artists and bands we saw. First is Zeds Dead, which is more something you just want to get out there and dance to with interesting beats. Add to that fun rhythm changes and that electronic energy that pairs well with lots of laser lights, you get the picture! On top of that, we enjoyed Ghastly, who we met in passing in the press area, as well as KSHMR, who had fun visuals, lights, beats, and all-around electrified the crowd below.

One of the most impressive was Above and Beyond. Being our first experience with the band, we had heard some of their music in passing or at clubs but hadn’t really spent any quality time with it. We got some and we’re glad we did! It was an all-encompassing EDM experience. Above and Beyond came out of the Trace wave and they’ve done everything you can in this genre since from trace, to dance anthems to even acoustic. Their newer music has some elements of it all, it has original lyrics, swelling dance beats, and everything you’d think of at an electronic dance festival. They’re not just sampling music and working it into beats, they craft their own original music. They have an impressive list of genres and songs, spanning two decades, all peppered a little bit of sadness and a ton of heart. We hope to see them again, maybe even their acoustic show?

With that, it’s time to lounge around the pool on the oversized flamingo float, grab a drink, and let the lights and sound surround you. Can you feel it?

Atlanta Mimosa Festival 2019

Date: Saturday, September 28th

Time: 1 pm

About: The second annual Atlanta Mimosa Festival will be hosted on Saturday, September 28th and you don’t want to miss it! The event will take place from 1pm to 5 pm with advanced entry for VIP ticket holders at 12pm. The location has changed from last year and will be held at the Historic 4th Ward Skate Park. Beverages available include mimosas (with a variety of orange juice flavors from Natalie’s Juice Company), Peach Bellini’s, Bloody Mary’s, a selection of beer, wine, and cider. There will be live music from Ocean Street and our favorite DJ Q-Tip will be spinning in an A/C tent. Additionally, there will be over 10 food vendors with yummy bites available for purchase. VIP tickets include all drinks, early entry at 12pm, brunch bites in the VIP Tent, separate bars and restrooms. VIP tickets are $79 in advancee. No day-of event tickets will be available for VIP. Bottomless Drinks tickets include all beverages; food will cost extra. Bottomless Drinks are $50 in advance and $60 day-of.

More Information:

https://www.bigtickets.com/events/atlantabeerfestivals/atlanta-mimosa-festival/

Imagine Music Festival 2019

Date: Thursday, 19th to Sunday, September 22nd

Time: All

About: Going to great depths to ensure that this is the most immersive Imagine Festival yet, Iris Presents has announced that Imagine will be expanding to four days, which will be accompanied by full music programming on the Disco Inferno stage, early arrival camping, and an extra day of fun. Taking place at Atlanta Motor Speedway this September 19-22, 2019, the added day will be free to everyone who purchases a 3-day ticket and available for a limited time until August 15th. Imagine has also unveiled the full lineup, in addition to several other big announcements, including a brand new stage- TechYes / Guerrilla 360 and a Saturday pool party.

The full lineup by stage, listing artists additions first includes:
OCEANIA STAGE:  Drinkurwater; Eddie Gold; Mantis and Midnite Panda.  Previously announced artists for Oceania include: Diplo; REZZ; Above & Beyond; Alison Wonderland; Zeds Dead; Marshmello; Alan Walker; KSHMR; Matoma; 1788-L; Ghastly; K?D; Leah Culver; Said the Sky and Svdden Death.

AMAZONIA STAGE:  G Jones; Jade Cicada; JuJu Beats; Scales and Zen Selekta.  Previously announced artists for Amazonia include:  Louis the Child; Tipper; Cherub; Detox Unit; Goldfish Phantoms and Thriftworks.

DISCO INFERNO STAGE:  Lane 8; Space Jesus; Blunts & Blondes; Sullivan King b2b Kai Wachi b2b Kompany; Boogie T; Squnto; Alex Lucas; Otica; Ployd; Throwdown; Vivid and White Rhino. Previously announced artists for Disco Inferno include:  laude Vonstroke & Dirtybird Players Stage Takeover; Anna Lunoe; Dr. Fresch; J.Philip; Justin Jay; Justin Martin; Nora En Pure; Rusko; Wax Motif; Grave Gang b4b set with Subtronics, HE$H, joined now by Boogie T and Squnto.

TECHYES 360:  Amine Edge & Dance; Anthony Attalla; Black v Neck; Charles Meyer; Ciszak; Clyde P; Doons; Dr Boom; Ernesto; Franklyn Watts; Galo; Greco; Hunter Reid; Lee K; Mark Starr; Ronnie Lopez; Techneekz; Tim Baresko and Treasure Fingers.

AERIA / SIX FEATHERS STAGE:  Eddie Gold b2b Midnite Panda; Big Mansions; DaddyDough; Ian Live & Friends; Julian Gray; Laser Assassins; MC Word; Nhexis; NOA|AON; Paraleven; Reliquary; Ricky Raw; Torch x Elevate Block; Previously announced artists for Aeria include:  BT; Darude; AK1200 and Reid Speed.

SILENT DISCO STAGE:  Bandikook; Chachuba; Comisar; D:RC; Deep Technicians; Deff Jeklyn; Dose Dromer; Exit 9; Fear & Lowe; JD; JStella; Kozmic; Krushendo; LaGoons; Leet; Magnesk; Mettapattern; Mike’s Revenge; Movin Keys; Octl; Riven; Shakes; Stranger Candy; Sylo; Tripnotic; White on Rice; Xenotype and Zubah. Stage takeovers by Ian Live & Native Groove.

In addition to music pulsing throughout the festival grounds and into camping, Imagine has partnered with Beatbox Beverages to host a Vegas-style daytime pool party on Saturday. All festival-goers are invited to the party and can add the pool party to their ticket.  VIP campers will automatically have the pool party included as a part of their pass.  DJs for the pool party will be announced in the coming weeks.

Finally, for those Imaginers looking to get a head start on the week, Imagine is opening up the camping grounds for early arrival on Thursday, September 19th.  Early arrival camping passes can be purchased as a part of a 4-day combo pass or as an add-on for those who already purchased their camping passes for Friday through Sunday.

For a limited time, up until August 15th, 4-day General Admission passes are available starting at $269- the same price as a 3-day pass and $289 for a 4-day pass with Early Arrival GA camping. VIP passes with express entry into the festival, exclusive viewing areas, VIP bars, and lounges, and private air-conditioned VIP trailer restrooms start at $369 for a 4-day pass and $539 with a 4-day pass with camping. Payment plans are still available for a limited time. Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.

More Information:

http://www.imaginefestival.com/