Detroit Lakes, Minn. By Sarah Lovelace

This four day stop will be the ultimate celebration of our midway point. Two major events will round out this huge mile marker - The 10,000 Lakes Festival and the meat a the visit from a very important guest, Tom’s special lady, Bernadette. This is her first festival, and Tom's only chance to see her after we leave Philadelphia. So it's a big deal.
For me, this festival is at the top of the list of things I am looking forward to. I have been to two festivals so far (Gathering of the Vibes in CT and Mountain Jam in NY) and have loved the atmosphere at each. People are friendly and willing to chat, vendors are happily selling you the things you really want to eat and wear, the air is always filled with music and I would be surprised to find anyone with out a mile wide grin across their face. 



The four of us are huge music fans. Joey and Tom expanded my love of Classic Rock by introducing me to The Grateful Dead, and I have further extended my jam band love by going to these festivals, finding a shady grassy spot, or a sunny sandy spot, slathering the sun lotion on my pathetic skin and really soaking everything up. 
The lineup for this festival looks promising and I guarantee we will all have something to blog about, during and after this stop. Here’s a look into who we’ll be seeing.



-Dave Matthews Band (at left)

-Widespread Panic

-Wilco

-Gomez

-Mason Jennings



-Umphrey's McGee (at right)

-Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

-Steve Kimock Crazy Engine

-Railroad Earth

-Tea Leaf Green

...and plenty more. Read the full list at the 10,000 Lakes Festival website.


(From top) Photo courtesy 10,000 Lakes Festival and Musical Earth; photo courtesy 10,000 Lakes Festival and Musical Earth; photo by David Iliff courtesy Wikimedia Commons; photo by Tom Stanley