A new outdoor music festival is coming to Orange County this fall, as Sonark Media launches another venture in the local music scene.
The recording studio and production company announced on Thursday its inaugural Sonark Harvest Festival, which will be held on Saturday, August 31 as Orange County’s Blackwood Farm Park. The event aims to be a family-friendly festival featuring a handful of local bands, food trucks, and craft vendors from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The lineup is headlined by the Chapel Hill pop-rock band The Old Ceremony, alongside the reggae-rock group Hourglass Kids and Burlington folk musician Jesse Fox. Carrboro’s Lennon KC, Raleigh’s Los Peligros del Norte, and White Cross’ Country Cruel will also perform as opening acts.
The Old Ceremony and Jesse Fox are no strangers to working with Sonark, as the musicians each recorded a live concert special as part of a series set to air this fall on PBS.
Photo via Sonark Media.
The Old Ceremony. (Photo via Mike Benson.)
“The inaugural Sonark Harvest Festival is part of Sonark’s vision to spotlight our region’s rich cultural offerings,” Steven Raets, the CEO of Sonark Media, told Chapelboro on Thursday. “It’s a jubilee for the entire community to sample the community’s extraordinary and diverse musicians, artisans, and food – a full day of celebration and good vibes for everyone.”
Blackwood Farm Park is a relatively new facility for Orange County’s government, which is supporting the festival alongside presenting sponsor and Chapel Hill label Robust Records. The park, which is off NC Highway 86 between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, reopened in 2023 after a $2.8 million renovation that added an amphitheater, picnic shelters and restroom facilities to the 152-acre property. The county first acquired the land in 2001 and opened it as a park with limited hours and trail offerings in 2015.
The Sonark Harvest Festival is offering discounted tickets through an early bird offer, with the first 200 purchased coming at $10 instead of $25. Additionally, 100 VIP experience packages will be offered at $150 each — which will allow access to mingle with the performers in the Artist Village, watch the shows from a private stage, and meals prepared by Chef Kevin Callaghan of Acme Food & Beverage Co. in Carrboro.
Tickets can be purchased through Sonark’s website, and vendors wishing to participate in the festival can fill out an application form there too. More details about Blackwood Farm Park can be found on the county government’s website.
Featured image via Sonark Media.
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