The 25th Annual Beaufort Music Festival

 After event write-up from one of our members:

I would like to thank everyone who helped make the 25th Beaufort Music Festival a reality this past weekend. First of all, big thanks to all the fans that came out and supported the Festival, both on Friday and Saturday and at our various fund-raising events throughout the year. YOU’RE the reason we do this- we want to throw a party that the whole community can enjoy together. That’s it; that’s our agenda. All of you are also the reason that the Festival happens; without your support, we couldn’t continue. As most of you know (but some may not), we are a 100% community-supported and funded Festival. Let me make this clear: we receive our entire operating budget from fundraising events, beer sales during the Festival, and some private donations. We have no corporate sponsors (not yet!), and although we receive some logistical support during the Festival from the Town of Beaufort (a HUGE thank you to the Beaufort PD- well done, gentlemen! Thanks for your patience, good spirits, and professional attitude!), we receive no public money to supplement our budget.

Secondly, I’d like to thank all of the volunteers who manned the ID checks, security, merchandise hut, beer ticket sales and taps, and also those who came out to help set up and break down staging and equipment. We appreciate your taking time out of your Festival. Your assistance really helps our Festival run smoothly and stay within budget.

Another HUGE thank you to everyone from RA Jeffreys Distributing Company for providing all of those delicious North Carolina beers, especially to Lee and Ray- those guys really brought their A-game this weekend. Bob High from Natty Greene’s Brewing Co was also on-site and made good things happen.

Denise Greer from Spoons Catering hooked up the Artist’s Green Room; everyone was impressed with the food at the hospitality suite. Thanks, Denise! And thanks to Wanda and everyone at Cru Wine Bar for allowing us the use of that incredible space. The Beaufort Inn and Beaufort Harbor Suites graciously provided lodging for some of our artists, and the Island Grille, Queen Anne’s Revenge, and Finz Grill fed our headlining acts and the men of the Marine Corps Band.

Public Radio East did a great job advertising the BMF; thanks, PRE!

Jim Morley, Liz Kopf and Jon Besch from the Backstreet Pub, and all the hashers deserve a shout-out for bringing a new twist to the Saturday morning Fun Run. There is a groundswell of support to make this an annual event. Jim’s lovely wife, Abigail, keeps coming through with last-minute requests for art; she designed the poster, t-shirt, AND awesome Klean Kanteen steel pints. Thanks, Abby!

A music festival is nothing without the music, and to that end, I’d like to offer with the utmost sincerity, awe, and respect a hearty thank you to all of the great acts who made this year’s Festival the best ever. Robert Randolph and the Family Band truly showed why they are considered one of the most entertaining live acts around. I mean, wow. Two songs into their set I thought to myself, “This is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Already.” I think they made some new fans this weekend, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. Holy Ghost Tent Revival have come a long way from playing upstairs at the Backstreet; it was great to see them up on the main stage on Friday night. All of the other bands, from the Battle of the Bands Winners to the West Carteret Jazz Band, helped bring out the largest crowds for the BMF in recent memory. Thanks so much to all of the artists who participated this year.

Finally, I’d like to personally thank all of the BMF Committee members who stuck it out this year, through one roadblock after another, and believed in me and my crazy ideas- we went out on that ledge and stared into the abyss, people, but I don’t think we fell off the cliff. Thanks goes to Lee Mason, Matt Kenworthy, Tancred Miller, Patrick Kelly, Sarah Phillips, and especially Jack Taylor, without his guidance, leadership, and political acumen we would be a rudder-less ship. If you see any of these people, please thank them personally; they’ve earned it.

As we move forward, changes are coming to the Beaufort Music Festival. We don’t know what they’ll be just yet, but the 26th Beaufort Music Festival in 2014 will not be the same animal as it has been in the past. If you have some constructive criticism about what we’re doing wrong (and right), please let me know (john@beaufortmusicfestival.com). What started 25 years ago as a group of local musicians coming together to pick out some tunes has turned into a unique, first-class festival with locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally-acclaimed artists, all just outside your front porch- for free! I have no doubt that the BMF keeps getting better, and this year was truly the Best Weekend in Beaufort.

Thanks!

John Hackney, BMF Committee member