After taking a year off, Michigan's major Fourth of July weekend music festival is set to return this summer, with a new name.
The Electric Forest Festival, previously the Rothbury Festival, will run June 30-July 3 at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich., according to the newly established www.electricforestfestival.com web site. A placekeeper message on the site promises a full launch and initial lineup announcement on Feb. 28, although the group String Cheese Incident, which played Rothbury in 2009, is said to be locked in already.
The Electric Forest moniker comes from the psychedelically decorated forest area at the center of the festival grounds that was a consensus highlight for fans and performers alike.
The Rothbury Festival took place in 2008 and 2009, featuring headliners such as the Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, the Dead, John Mayer, Widespread Panic and more. Crowds each year were estimated in the mid-30,000s. Festival organizers decided to take 2010 off because they were unable to put together a lineup "with the integrity and high standards that we demand from ourselves and for the festivals."
The Double JJ Ranch went into bakruptcy after the first year's festival and was sold to an out-of-state concern in 2009.
Web Site:
www.electricforestfestival.com
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Gary Graff