For GrassRoots fans, paradise returns this week

Beginning Thursday, the 26th annual Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance will return to the Trumansburg Fairgrounds, offering four days of music from around the region, across the country and from all over the world.

Founded by host band Donna the Buffalo, GrassRoots has long lived up to its reputation as a “Music Lover’s Paradise.” More than 80 bands will perform on four stages throughout the festival, covering a variety of roots music ranging from rock, Cajun, bluegrass and folk to Zydeco, hip-hop, punk, funk and more.

This year’s headliners include the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, who will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday on the Infield Stage; Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, the bluegrass band led by the award-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist (8:30 p.m. Saturday, Grandstand); Brett Dennen, the Northern California singer-songwriter who has released six acclaimed albums (9 p.m. Saturday, Infield); and Silversun Pickups, the indie-rock band from Southern California whose latest album is “Better Nature” (10:30 p.m. Saturday, Grandstand).

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International acts include Afro-pop pioneer Orlando Julius and the Afrosoundz (10 p.m. Friday, Infield); 2015 Latin Grammy Best New Artist winner Monsieur Periné (11 p.m. Thursday, Grandstand); Ugandan band Kinobe and The Wamu Spirit (7 p.m. Saturday, Infield); Quebec’s De Temps Antan (4:30 p.m. Friday, Grandstand); and Brazilian-influenced band Uma Galera (8 p.m. Friday, Dance Tent; 12:45 a.m. Saturday — technically, that’s Sunday morning, but really it’s Saturday night — at the Grandstand).

Other acts making their festival debut include indie-folk-pop band Mandolin Orange (6:30 p.m. Friday, Grandstand), Chicago bluesman Lurrie Bell (8:30 p.m. Saturday, Grandstand; 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dance Tent), and the Savoy Family Cajun Band (8 p.m. Thursday, Dance Tent; 10 p.m. Friday, Dance Tent).

Longtime festival favorites such as Jim Lauderdale, the Campbell Brothers, Keith Secola, the Frank Family, the Flying Clouds, Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys, and others also will return.

As usual, local bands will be heavily represented, with some playing more than one set: Laila Belle, the Blind Spots, Big Mean Sound Machine, Mary Lorson, Driftwood, Johnny Dowd, John Brown’s Body, Jimkata, Anna Coogan and Willie B, Rockwood Ferry, the Horse Flies, the Sim Redmond Band, Mac Benford, the Grady Girls, Sophistafunk and many more will perform throughout the weekend. (Download a festival schedule from www.grassrootsfest.org for set times.)

Of course, many of the bands perform every year; it’s one of the things that gives GrassRoots its distinctive character.

“Some people complain about that, but they also don’t realize how much they love it,” said Nana Monaco, one of the festival’s organizers. “But imagine if we had all new bands every year — you couldn’t go see them all.”

Other festival offerings include camping, local craft and food vendors, children's activities, daily yoga, healing arts workshops and visual-arts exhibits.

A good cause

With the boom in festivals around the country — many of which feature superstar acts, VIP packages and corporate sponsorships — GrassRoots remain true to its roots, so to speak

“GrassRoots has always been a mission-based organization that’s not about the glitz and the VIPs,” said Katie Foley, the festival’s director of development and marketing. “We’re an under-the-radar festival that’s bringing in really high-quality music to an knowledgeable audience.”

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GrassRoots was originally founded as benefit event; its early mission was to benefit “the arts, education and the fight against AIDS.” While that mission has evolved somewhat over the years as times have changed, festival organizers remain dedicated to supporting a variety of causes in the local community.

“We’re not the best at tooting own horn, but GrassRoots has always donated a substantial amount to local organizations,” Foley noted.

There are also outreach efforts such as the Roots in the Schools program, which brings music to schools and summer camps, and the play structures and other works built volunteers and craftspeople that are donated to the community.

Tips and tidbits

• Ithaca Beer and GrassRoots have teamed to offer a limited-edition GrassRoots IPA; it’s available now in a few locations, and will be served in the GrassRoots Beer Gardens throughout the festival.

• Cider Saturday will spotlight local cider-makers at 2-10 p.m. Saturday in the World Café Beer Garden.

• No glass bottles are allowed inside the fairgrounds; visitors are encouraged to put their beverages into a cup or coozie.

• Support the participating bands by picking up some of their music in the merchandise and CD barn.

• Wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes, bring earplugs and drink lots of water throughout the event.

• Pace yourself – it’s a long weekend!

If You Go

• What: Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance

• When: Thursday-Sunday

• Where: Trumansburg Fairgrounds, 2150 Trumansburg Road, Trumansburg

• Tickets: $150 for four-day pass at the gate; $45-$65 daily admission at the gate

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Follow online

Can’t make it to the GrassRoots Festival or want to find out what’s going on the other side of the Trumansburg Fairgrounds? Let us help you stay in the loop.

• Follow @ithacajournal and @ithacamusicnews for posts from the festival grounds.

• Like us at facebook.com/ithacajournal for the latest updates and Facebook alerts when we are broadcasting live from GrassRoots.

• And if you are at GrassRoots, be sure to download the Ithaca Journal apps for Apple and Android and get all the updates from the festival.

• Check ithacajournal.com for stories, photo galleries, videos and more.