FernsonFest 2017
A good friend of Fernson, Kaitlynn Wornson, joined us at FernsonFest 2017 last week. We hope everyone who came was able to make some new stories worth sharing. Here’s Kaitlynn’s:
Just after getting my ticket and souvenir mug (I was one of the lucky first thousand attendees), I looked over the Fernson swag laid out, taking note that the new crew neck looked pretty cozy, and then made my beer selection. The souvenir mug holds 20 ounces of Curio-my current favorite-perfectly, but it’s also perfectly sized for my morning coffee, which a friend of mine pointed out when I saw him outside.
I got there mid-afternoon, and looking around, I sized up the crowd to be already at a few hundred, later I found out just over a thousand attended FernsonFest 2017.
They had cleared the massive parking lot at the brewery and planted a stage at one end and three food trucks, two beer stations, a taco stand, and some tables at the other. It’s difficult enough to pick just one beer out of Fernson’s entire lineup, especially since you could grab the new Barrel Aged Coffee Paw, which is the Lion’s Paw infused with locally-roasted, Breaks coffee, aged in a bourbon barrel, as well as other staples like the Farmhouse Ale or of course, the OG Lion’s Paw.
Passing through the crowd it was hard not to stop to pet the dogs or have a conversation with people you haven’t seen in forever, but following your ears to the stage was worth it at any point in the day, thanks to a great lineup in a variety of genres ranging from jazz to indie: Studio B. Jazz, Hard Travelin', or Condor in the afternoon, and The Union Grove Pickers, then Burlap Wolf King, and ending with Night Moves in the evening.
Standing next to the stage I caught up with Alex, who had played with Studio B and later played again with Burlap Wolf King. From his point of view from the stage, he said FernsonFest felt just like a music festival, complete with a crowd that was locked into the music, even as the night got colder.
Speaking of that, it was cold. But Fernson brought out some fire pits, and the group who stayed for Night Moves wasn’t afraid to dance or sway to the music, so we all stayed warm.
The night wrapped up around 11. Leaving through the glow of the fire pits and a few solo stand lights, I caught sight of some of the Fernson folks, wide smiles and beers in hand, the kind of moment that can only happens after you’ve put on a great festival.
Cheers, FernsonFest. See you next year.