If you’ve always thought three days of peace, love, and music sounded like fun, look no further than Olivebridge this weekend for the real thing. The lineup for the inaugural Summer Hoot, taking place this weekend at the Ashokan Center, reads like a who’s who (or who’s Hoot, perhaps?) of world-class artists with Catskill roots: Mike + Ruthy, Amy Helm’s Dirt Farmer Band, Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Mikhail Horowitz and Giles Malkine, Happy Traum, and many more. A few class acts from out of town will be in the mix as well: Folk satirist Dan Bern is in town from L.A., neo-trad folksters Death Vessel are making the trek from Rhode Island, and modern-day troubadour Robert Sarazin Blake will drop in from Washington State.
There will be kids’ crafts and activities with Fiberflame, succulent local grub (chef Jill Freiberg will be cooking up breakfast on Saturday and Sunday), and plenty of chances to enjoy the Center’s hundreds of beautiful acres in the foothills of the Cats. There’s lodging available, both outdoors and in. (Campsites do observe quiet hours, but there’ll be special night-jamming areas for those with better things to do than sleep.) And if your budget’s tight, you can sign on as a volunteer and get in for free. What better way to get to know your fellow music lovers?
The Hoot began last winter as an indoor fundraiser for the Center, and even in that somewhat limited incarnation it attracted 400 avid celebrants. This weekend, with the added attraction of the great outdoors, promises to be absolutely off the proverbial chain.
Summer Hoot. Friday, August 23 through Sunday, August 25 at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge. Music begins at 6pm on Friday, August 23, and at 10am on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25. A weekend pass costs $50.00; kids under 12 are free. For more information and a complete lineup and schedule, visit the Home of the Hoot website or Facebook page.
