Dunegrass Festival doubles up

– from staff reports
Endurance is the unofficial theme for this year’s Dunegrass Festival, to be held this weekend, August 1 and 2, in the open field behind the St. Philip Neri Church in downtown Empire. Revelers have enjoyed this day of music and dance so much over the years that festival organizers Mike Vanderberg and his daughter Amelia decided to stretch it out over two days.

Gates will open to the “pre-festival” at 5 p.m. on Friday – a laid-back prelude to Saturday’s musical lineup. Goers can enjoy a fire pit, drum circle, pot luck and Open Mic until 11 p.m., after which they are encouraged to pitch a tent and camp on festival grounds.
Get some sleep, for Saturday is time to dance. Various local and downstate bands will alternately rock and woo the crowd from the early afternoon until late at night. Saturday’s festivities will also include various arts & crafts and food booths, a kids’ tent, and the opportunity to paint a school bus. It is yet to be determined whether the Bay Area Transportation Authority will provide a shuttle bus to ferry tired, sweaty partiers to the Empire beach for a life-saving dip in Lake Michigan.
Dunegrass Festival schedule of events:
Friday
Gates open, 5 p.m.
Open Mic until 11 p.m.
Saturday
Open Mic in early afternoon
New Third Coast, 3 p.m.
Break for Church service, 4:15 p.m.
Horn Dogs, 5:30
Green Sky Bluegrass, 7 p.m.
Soldiers Reggae, 9 p.m.
Beach Bards as masters of ceremonies
Times are subject to change as musical vibes fluctuate