Summer is certainly here, which means the music festival season is upon us. If merely thinking about these all-day events makes your ears ring, feet sore, and eyelids sag, you aren’t alone. Still, all music fans can agree that there are a few can’t-miss fests that are worth enduring.
The music fest at the top of my to-do list is coming up this Friday and Saturday in Berea, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Now in its fourth year, Berea Fest features every genre from acoustic folk-punk sing-a-longs to the grinding sounds of thrashcore. But what sets this fest apart from the rest isn’t just its musical stylings; billed as a ‘celebration of national and local DIY music and the community it creates,’ the fest’s tone is akin to a gathering of long-time friends. Attendees are encouraged to bring food to share with the bands, and there’s even a ‘sleep over board’ to hook people up with local places to stay.
The price is right, too. For merely $10, you get to see 34 bands over two days. Since the fest is housed in a free space, every penny goes to the bands’ gas tanks and the leftovers are donated to charity. Last year, over $2000 was bequeathed to the Berea Children’s Home. If you live anywhere within earshot, I highly recommend you start planning a road trip!
