Correction: Annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival returns Aug. 24-26
Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 08/13/2012 05:16 PM EDT
Upper Peninsula DNR News
The following is a corrected version of a DNR news release issued earlier today. We apologize for any inconvenience.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 13, 2012
Contact: Sandra Richardson, 906-885-5275 or Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352
Eaglesmith, Holmes Bros., Grand Slambovians headline Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, Aug. 24-26
The eighth annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, presented by the Friends of the Porkies, will take place Friday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Aug. 26 at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Winter Recreation Area in the Upper Peninsula’s scenic Ontonagon County.
More than two dozen acts will perform on two outdoor stages during the three-day event. Canadian songwriter and iconoclast Fred Eaglesmith will roll his Traveling Steam Show onto the Porkies stage for two separate performances, along with a Q & A workshop with songwriting as the topic.
An independent musical artist, Eaglesmith’s songs have been covered by several country superstars and he has received a Juno Award for Best Roots and Traditional album. His music has been used in films by Martin Scorsese and others. When not writing, recording and performing, Eaglesmith creates visual art that is exhibited in commercial galleries and museums.
Eaglesmith’s appearance is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Other headlining acts include:
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The Holmes Brothers: Over the course of their 30-plus-year career, the Holmes Brothers have been feeding the souls of their devoted and ever-growing fan base with a joyous and moving blend of blues, gospel, soul, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country.
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Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dream, aka the Grand Slambovians: After a two-year hiatus, audience favorites Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams will return to the Porkies stage. The Circus emerged from the misty hills of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., in 1988 and exploded upon the Hudson Valley music scene.
Numerous other activities will include the “Busking Barn,” located at the festival’s third stage, which will be the site of numerous acoustic performances and a daily jam session where all are welcome to join. A children’s tent area, designed to entertain young festival goers with various colorful activities, will also be available throughout the weekend.
The Porcupine Mountains Music Festival made state history in 2005 by becoming the first music festival to be held in a state park. Year after year, festival goers are treated to quality folk music in the wilderness setting of the park’s ski area.
The non-profit organization, Friends of the Porkies, represents the interests of all users of the Porkies and sponsors the annual music festival. The Porkies is a popular tourist attraction, with a breathtaking 60,000 acres of natural beauty located in Ontonagon County. Ontonagon is one of the least populated counties in Michigan, laid back and picturesque with wondrous natural surroundings – including more than 40 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, known as America’s cleanest beach. The area is rich with Native American and mining history, and encompasses thousands of acres of state and federal land, the Midwest’s largest span of virgin hardwood maple/hemlock forest and a community lighthouse.
Tickets are $90 for a three-day pass and $35 for a single-day pass, with a 20 percent discount available to seniors 60+ and teens ages 13-17. Tickets for children ages 7-12 are $10 for either a three-day pass or a single-day pass, and children 6 or under receive free admission when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
For more information about the eighth annual Porcupine Mountains Music Festival or to purchase tickets, visit www.porkiesfestival.org or contact Linda Kermeen, festival director, at 906-884-2653 or 800-344-5355.
For more information about the park, visit www.michigan.gov/porkies or call the park at 906-885-5275. Reservations at the Porkies can be made online at www.midnrreservations.com, or by calling 800-447-2757.
A Recreation Passport will be required to enter the park. The Recreation Passport is an easy, affordable way for residents to enjoy and support outdoor recreation opportunities in Michigan. By checking “YES” for the $10 Recreation Passport ($5 for motorcycles) when renewing a license plate through the Secretary of State (by mail, kiosk, online at www.expresssos.com or at branch offices), Michigan motorists get access to state parks, recreation areas, state forest campgrounds, non-motorized state trailhead parking and state boat launches. In addition, Recreation Passport holders can experience real savings at businesses and retailers that participate in the Passport Perks discount program. The Recreation Passport is valid until the next license plate renewal date. Nonresidents can purchase the Recreation Passport ($29 annual; $8 daily) at any state park or recreation area or through the Michigan e-Store at www.michigan.gov/estore.
Learn more about this creative way of sustaining Michigan's outdoor recreation and natural resources at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport. For information on Passport Perks shopping discounts or how businesses and retailers can enroll in the program, visit www.michigan.gov/passportperks.
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/Note to editors: Several photos are available below. Captions follow.
PMMF Grounds: Porcupine Mountains Music Festival attendees are treated to quality folk music while enjoying views of Lake Superior and the forested hills.
PMMF Children: Sunday's colorful children's performance is always a popular event.
The Holmes Bros.: The legendary Holmes Brothers will bring their soulful three-part harmonies to the Porkies stage as the opening-night headlining act on Friday, Aug. 24. Photo credit: Stefan Falke/