One of Michigan’s most treasured festivals rolls out for the final time next weekend. Organizer Seth Bernard reflects on its special beauty, with Local Spins offering up a guide to the Lake City spectacle.
Resplendent in Talent, Camaraderie, Community: Earthwork Harvest Gathering outside Lake City. (Photo/Vincent Brady)
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What started as a musical potluck soon grew into a season-ending celebration embraced by thousands of Michigan musicians, festivalgoers and volunteers.
So, when Earthwork Harvest Gathering founder Seth Bernard announced that the 2024 edition of the music festival outside Lake City would be the last, it sparked sadness, loving comments and a flood of memories for many who’ve been part of the annual event.
On Facebook, musician Kyle Brown thanked Bernard “for the unforgettable memories. Earthwork Harvest Gathering will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Added Dobro whiz Mark Lavengood: “I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone involved with the Earthwork Harvest Gathering operations for the many years of commitment to community and service to our people.”
On Stage in 2023: Seth Bernard surrounded by friends at Harvest Gathering. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“You and all the wonderful people there changed out lives for the better,” wrote Jonathan Beaver of the Beaver Xing duo. “All of the souls you have touched, all of the tears both of joy and sorrow that were shed there, the community that you have built will forever hold this festival in their heart as one of the most treasured spaces.”
Bernard, who noted that festival numbers have dropped since 2019 (when 3,751 people attended) with Harvest Gathering losing money in 2023, said organizers had to face “some sobering realities” in ending the tradition while finding new ways forward. Indeed, the decision follows an announcement last month by northern Michigan’s Hoxeyville Music Festival which also ended its long run in 2024.
“Working class people are squeezed economically and can’t afford the rising costs of living and attending multiple music festivals every summer, and many people don’t want to be in crowds as much as they used to. There’s also the trend of folks choosing digital media at home over going out to concerts and plays and movies,” Bernard reasoned.
“The global pandemic has taken a serious toll on all of us. It also exposed and exacerbated unjust power structures, systems of oppression and unhinged corporate greed and the toll it all takes on our communities.”
He insisted, however, that “we will get through this by putting the work in, believing in ourselves and each other and the possibilities that change brings. We will get through this by finding ways to heal our wounds and regulate our nervous systems and resolve our conflicts generatively so that we can find belonging in community and participate in helping to shape the future. We must adapt to survive and do our healing.”
‘A CHILDHOOD DREAM,’ BELOVED ANNUAL TRADITIONS, 72 PERFORMANCES
For Bernard, who grew up on his father’s Earthwork Farm, the legacy of Harvest Gathering has been “incredibly special” due to the “brilliant, caring, hard-working staff and legion of volunteers” who’ve helped assemble the event.
“Earthwork Harvest Gathering is different for me because it’s a childhood dream made manifest, and part of the central work of my adult life. It takes place on the farm where I was born and raised, which has a history of being a place where art and activism and agriculture intersect,” noted Bernard, a longtime environmental activist.
Loving Community: Harvest Gathering attendees. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“The abundance of workshops and panel discussions, the presence of many nonprofit organizations, enriching spaces and educational opportunities makes Harvest Gathering unique and special. Like many long-running events, it has its annual traditions that those who attend come to know and love, like Aaron Otto’s opening on Native American flute, the annual Water Blessing Ceremony, the Waltz hour, the basketball tournament, Chris Dorman’s closing set, the late night singalong in the barn on Sunday and more.”
The weekend also features food from more than 40 local farms, community art projects, a children’s tent and more.
With 72 acts performing on three stages, the robust lineup of Michigan acts covers the gamut in terms of genres, featuring the likes of Jordan Hamilton, The Go Rounds, The Red Sea Pedestrians, Joshua Davis, Full Cord, Great Lakes Brass, Earth Radio, Rachael Davis, Djangophonique, Sari Brown, Jen Sygit, Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet, Desmond Jones, Molly and more. (Scroll down for daily schedules.)
“Our annual budget for performers is $40,000 and has remained the same even as we have reduced the number of musical acts by 30 percent over the last few years. Artists keep 100 percent of their merch sales, are offered three amazing meals a day, and free massage and bodywork by professionals. We’ve also had stage presence workshops and free entertainment law consultations as additional offerings for musicians,” said Bernard, who himself plans to perform seven times with different acts over the weekend.
More than half of the attendees each year are active participants in Harvest Gathering — performers, crew, volunteers, staff — making it a true community undertaking.
Despite the excitement for what’s being billed as “the best Harvest Gathering ever,” Bernard said it’s “necessary for us to take a step back after this year and see what comes next. I find myself overwhelmed by how much I have learned from the people I have worked with and how much this community means to me. … I am hopeful about how the seeds of Harvest Gathering will continue to grow and spread.”
EARTHWORK HARVEST GATHERING: THE ESSENTIALS
Seth Bernard (Photo/Anna Sink)
WHERE: Earthwork Farm, 999-1 E. Cutcheon Rd., Lake City, Mich., 49651
WEBSITE: https://earthworkharvestgathering.com/
THE DRIVE:
121 miles (1 hour, 48 minutes from Grand Rapids)
171 miles (2 hours, 32 minutes from Kalamazoo)
213 miles (3 hours, 6 minutes from Detroit)
140 miles (2 hours from Lansing)
48 miles (1 hour, 2 minutes from Traverse City)
197 miles (2 hours, 50 minutes from Ann Arbor)
TICKETS: Adult weekend tickets, $185; teens, $130; seniors, $150; children are free. Get tickets online here.
Revisit Local Spins’ Coverage of Past Earthwork Harvest Gatherings.
HARVEST GATHERING 2024: THE SCHEDULE
Copyright 2024, Spins on Music LLC
