Driven by intense local and artist community support, the beloved Oldtone Music Festival has returned from the grave and revealed its full lineup. A one-of-a-kind 3-day hoot taking place from September 5-8 in Hillsdale, NY, the festival is making a miraculous comeback to Cool Whisper Farm after an early demise that turned out to be a one-year hiatus.
What is Oldtone Music Festival?
The Oldtone Roots Music Festival was founded in 2015 with a one-day show in Wassaic, NY. In 2016, the full three-stage/camping festival was launched at the Schober family’s Cool Whisper Farm in North Hillsdale, NY. The festival ran the second weekend of September until the lockdowns of 2020 forced the producers to cancel. In 2021 and 2022, attempts were made to reboot the festival in limited scope; however, by early 2023, the choice to end the festival was made.
Nonetheless, Oldtone’s motto reads, “Participation is Preservation.” Truly the proud eastern Columbia town aims to preserve roots music and folkways through artist and audience participation and by passing traditions down by hand. As a result the Oldtone Festival has always brought the best of old-time, bluegrass, hot jazz, Cajun dance music, Western swing and other traditional styles to North Hillsdale and was sorely missed in the community. The niche festival remains true to the small town, standing out amongst a sea of corporatized summer festivals, Oldtone is, by design, an intimate, rural, artist-driven festival without the trappings of larger mega festivals. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the vision was brought back to life.
Don’t Call It a Comeback
Thus fittingly, by the fall of 2023 the possibility of reviving the festival as a non-profit event became a reality. Armed with a new management team and the support and enthusiasm of the Schober family, Oldtone Arts, Inc. was formed. Consequently by October of 2023, the new team received not-for-profit status via the New York Foundation for the Arts and the hard work to revamp the festival and make it everything it can be again. Henceforth Oldtone is now co-produced by Jim Wright and Trevor Roush. As a result any of the same people are still working on the show, with some fresh talent. Meanwhile, it is their hope that the festival will have a better chance to be sustainable and continue to promote the same great roots music.
Oldtone 2024
Moreover, artist interaction remains a high priority, with hands-on workshops, a dance tent, band and instrument contests, and even a side stage in order to pull camper-pickers up for a few numbers, which creates a festival experience unlike any other. This year, Oldtone is adding Latin-American roots music in a big way out of the gate, with Grammy-winners Los Texmaniacs.
Joining previously announced artists like the Grammy Award-winning conjunto band Los Texmaniacs, The Deslondes, JP Harris, and more are Sweet Megg, Down Hill Strugglers, Kiki Cavazos, Ranse Chase, Krissie & the Kranks, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee, Beg, Steal or Borrow, and Slinky Armadillo.
The Oldtone Festival is back, and it’s coming together as a bigger and better event. We can’t wait to see you all dancing to some of the best roots music being made these days in our big dance tent. And bring your instruments. With some of the best field jams in the Northeast, this pickers’ festival packs the campground with music late into the night.
– Jim Wright, Oldtone founder
Camping Gates will open at noon on Thursday, September 5, for full festival ticket holders who booked to tent camp and for those with RVs and trailers that are longer than 18 feet. Please check the Oldtone website for all event updates.
We are beyond excited to bring back the Oldtone Festival full-on with both the main stage and our beloved dance tent. This year’s line-up is an amazing mix of legends and rising stars across so many genres of roots music. One thing we truly wanted to do for the upcoming festival attendees is keep the ticket price low… as it was in 2019. I think we did that and a whole lot more… It’s going to be the best one ever.
– Trevor Roush, producer
Tickets for the festival are currently on sale here.
Oldtone Music Festival Full Lineup
Los Texmaniacs
Foghorn Stringband
Kiki Cavazos
The Deslondes
Jesse Lége & Bayou Brew
Danny Paisley & Southern Grass
Sweet Megg
JP Harris
Dumpster Debbie
Will Mentor
Jordan Thibodeaux, Joel Savoy & Cedric Watson
Down Hill Strugglers
Rance Chase
Krissie & The Kranks
Chattanooga Dogs
Maura Gahn
Moonshine Holler
The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee
Wild Leek River
The Talking Hearts
The Neon Moons
Zach Bryson
Beg, Steal or Borrow
Slinky Armadillo
Day Lot Gate Times
Thursday: 4 pm -12 am
Friday: 11 am -12 am
Sat: 9 am -12 am
Sun: 10 am – 4 pm
