Music, art in the park at 12th annual Groovefest

Bottled Monkey performing at Groovefest in Main Street Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 27, 2014 | Photo by Kevin Robison, Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY – The 12th annual Groovefest Music & Art Festival is under way featuring bands and artisans from all over the county.

Groovefest activities have been taking place all week with the main music events occurring this weekend.

Main Street Park on Friday and Saturday is the venue for free live music on two stages – the “main stage” and the “side stage” – along with arts and crafts of every kind.

Arts Festival at Groovefest in Main Street Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 27, 2014 | Photo taken by Kevin Robison
Arts Festival at Groovefest in Main Street Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 27, 2014 | Photo by Kevin Robison

“This is a celebration of art,” Sandi Levy, event coordinator, said. “We’ve come to say whether you hear it or see it, this is the place to be this weekend if you’re into anything art.”

In conjunction with Groovefest, the annual arts festival features a distinct selection of crafts.

“We’ve got a really diverse group of artisans on hand,” Levy said. “If you like something that’s been made by hand, by a craftsperson, I bet you there’s someone here that’s doing it.”

Typically, the main stage showcases acts from around the country, while the side stage showcases local performers. For the first time in Groovefest history, this year the main stage features three Cedar City bands.

One Cedar City band to take the stage Friday was Wilhelm, with Mason Cottam on the upright base.

“These music festivals to me are more about just the atmosphere of being outside and people coming together that normally wouldn’t,” Cottam said.

Over 300 band submissions where sent in by hopefuls applying to be in the Groovefest lineup, Tim Cretsinger, founder and director of Groovefest, said. The festival features a variety of music genres to please all types of listeners.

Bottled Monkey performing at Groovefest in Main Street Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 27, 2014 | Photo taken by Kevin Robison
Bottled Monkey performing at Groovefest in Main Street Park, Cedar City, Utah, June 27, 2014 | Photo by Kevin Robison

“It’s a great family oriented event,” Cretsinger said. “The music that we bring is for all ages, and it doesn’t matter what you like – you’re going to enjoy Groovefest because there’s nothing like a live music experience, especially in a festival atmosphere where all types of people come together. We have bikers next to Mormon moms. It’s just a great experience for everybody.”

Crestsinger has announced the event for 11 years but will take a back seat this year due to being diagnosed with throat cancer in December. Guest announcers will include David Ivers, of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson.

The crew has stepped up this year to make the event possible, Cretsinger said.

Groovefest saw record attendance earlier in the week. Cretsinger said he hopes the crowd will continue into the weekend festivities.

“Everybody’s really excited,” Cretsinger said. “It seems like we’ve had record crowds at the previous four events during the week that we’ve ever had before, so if that’s any indication, the weekend should be busier than ever.”

For more information on bands and times, visit the Groovefest website.

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Event details and ticket information

  • When: Saturday, June 28, 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
  • Where:  Main Street Park, 200 N. Main St., Cedar City, Utah
  • Admission: Free| Groovefest | Telephone: 435-867-9800
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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