After several years in the mountains of Vermont, Tweed River Music Festival has announced it will be closing its doors. The music and camping event created by Bow Thayer and Jeremy Moses Curtis posted the news online this morning, calling the announcement “bittersweet”.
Last year’s Tweed River Fest, its seventh, featured a strong lineup of New England talent, including Waylon Speed, Jesse Dee, Township, the Silks, and Joe Fletcher, as well as national acts like Lydia Loveless and JP Harris and The Tough Choices.
“For those of you have supported us over the years we sincerely thank you for helping us grow in size and stature,” the organizers write in a statement from the festival. “The truth is, the amount of time and effort that goes into planning and preparing the festival is very difficult and extremely time consuming for the people involved. We have never solicited money from major corporations and have remained true to operating within the ‘local economy’ mindset. The support has been amazing not only from new and returning fans alike, but from all of our vendors and sponsors over the course of the festivals. Unfortunately, it has never been enough to compensate and justify the time (financially speaking) for the eight to nine month window leading up to the festival and beyond. We understand that there will be many disappointed fans and we don’t take that lightly either. It was a hard decision to make but we feel it is best for the LLC and the people involved.”
The organizers say they will carry on the spirit of the festival through their own musical projects, both of which frequently performed at Tweed River, and urged fans to support local bands and musicians.
“Both Bow and Jeremy will continue to hatch new ideas and get-togethers that will carry the Tweed spirit forward via their musical vehicles: The Bow Thayer Band and The Curtis Mayflower,” they write. “We do ask that you also do your part to keep the spirit of Tweed alive by going out and supporting your favorite local and national touring artists. They depend upon the fans and sales of merchandise to stay afloat and keep the music flowing from one gig, one town, one gas station, one rent or mortgage payment to the next. Go out and support your favorite local vendor or business that you feel is doing something your moral compass agrees with. Volunteer in your community. Most importantly, remember the good. Take that feeling and do something positive for your community of musicians, artists and fellow human beings. We are all in this together.”