Hoxeyville devotees flocked in August to the Manistee National Forest for the festival’s final soiree even though several headliners backed out in the days before. It was one of Local Spins’ biggest stories of the year.
Hoxeyville’s Final Salvo: Full Cord wrapped up the festival with a light-festooned Sunday set that included a cover of Pink Floyd. (Photo/Anna Sink)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our countdown of the top Local Spins stories of the year continues with our August coverage of the Hoxeyville Music Festival in Wellston — a festival that ended its run in 2024 after facing last-minute cancellations by several performers. Scroll down for photo galleries.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Those who were there the second weekend in August — performers as well as devoted attendees — embraced and experienced the magic of Hoxeyville for the last time.
While it wasn’t everything that many folks had initially expected due to cancellations by several headliners at the 11th hour, Hoxeyville Music Festival’s final soiree in northern Michigan’s Manistee National Forest was rife with uplifting sets by regional artists, emotional farewells and expressions of gratitude to organizer Jake Robinson and his team for assembling the annual celebration for more than two decades.
“I’ve been inspired by Hoxey for years and will be inspired by Hoxey for years to come,” regular performer and Earthwork Music collective founder Seth Bernard declared at one point from the stage.
Inspired by Hoxey: Seth Bernard performing with the all-star Airborne or Aquatic in one of the festival’s climactic sets. (Photo/Anna Sink)
The festival’s final year commenced after major high-profile acts Galactic, Elephant Revival, Sam Bush and Holly Bowling dropped out citing contractual and financial issues just days before Hoxey was slated to start.
But several Michigan artists stepped in to take their place amid a reworked performance schedule, including The Smokin’ Dobroleles, who graciously “jumped in” to kick off Sunday’s sets (after previously not being in the festival lineup).
Indeed, in the true spirit of collaboration, musicians from different bands filled in and joined their friends on stage for various sets throughout the weekend.
Festivalgoers’ emotions ranged from sadness to bittersweet nostalgia to disappointment to glee at various junctures throughout the weekend, with Bernard, Lindsay Lou, Luke Winslow-King, May Erlewine and others espousing the love and camaraderie that’s galvanized the legacy of Hoxeyville — sometimes bringing listeners to tears.
Conversations also not surprisingly turned to the future of the 150-acre Hoxeyville site, with some predicting that something new might eventually replace the festival after Robinson announced that the 2024 event would be its “swan song.” (Hoxeyville Presents, by the way, also hosted the first-ever “Hoxeyville Spring” festival on the same site in early June.)
After initially announcing late in the week that New Orleans funk band Galactic wouldn’t perform — citing rising costs, an economic downturn and lower-than-expected ticket sales — Robinson didn’t respond to Local Spins queries about what sparked late cancellations by other acts who had been promoted as festival headliners. Those who pulled out cited monetary concerns and issues surrounding the festival’s contractual obligations.
“With great disappointment, we are unable to showcase Galactic this weekend at Hoxeyville,” the festival explained on Facebook days before the event, adding that they “sincerely apologize” for the late change in the bill. “The unforeseen economic downturn, rising costs to produce events, and lower ticket sales than anticipated have led us to have to make this difficult decision.”
Some ticket buyers (who spent $200 for adult weekend tickets) and prospective festivalgoers complained via Facebook about the unexpected shakeup in the weekend lineup and last-minute announcement, while others rallied to support Hoxey and its organizing team, which has spent countless hours over the years building, creating, planning and operating the popular event.
(As for refunds, the festival’s ticket pages state: “No refunds under any circumstances.”)
Not surprisingly, many of those who packed the festival site all weekend long cheered and applauded the performers who gave it their all on the Hoxey stage for the last time as if those missing acts weren’t missed.
“The Airborne Or Aquatic set was so good Saturday night,” Steve Goeddeke wrote on social media, “I didn’t even care that all the national acts pulled out.”
The Legacy of Hoxey: Fans bid the festival farewell. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Another Hoxey fan put it this way on Facebook: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
Veteran Hoxeyville Music Festival performer and attendee, bluegrass and Americana star Lindsay Lou earlier had expressed her fondness for the tradition of this celebration in the northern Michigan woods.
“It’s like a family tradition where you go and meet up with your chosen family,” said the Michigan native who’s made her home in Nashville the past 10 years and performs at the Wellston festival on Friday night in the midst of national touring behind her new album, “Queen of Time.”
“It’s nice to have a place that you have deep roots that you return to and can have the big reunion with your family and your friends. … We were rehearsing and drafting up the set and I realized that most of the set is going to have someone sitting in. That’s what happens when you go to a family reunion, you play with your family.”
That “family” was supposed to include acclaimed keyboardist Holly Bowling, but she dropped out of the lineup.
“Like other artists on the festival, we did everything we could to work with the promoter but after many unfulfilled promises and unanswered requests, I can’t put on the show for you that you deserve,” she wrote on Facebook in apologizing to festivalgoers. “In addition, the festival was not able to deliver on their contractual obligations, despite giving them many outs and extra chances until the last possible hour.”
Celebrated mandolinist Sam Bush also pulled out, citing “negligent omissions by and from the promoter of the Hoxeyville Music Festival. … It is unfortunate for all of us that this is happening at such a last-minute pace. We have tried to work it out, but have been assured we will not be paid. We appreciate the Hoxeyville festival and are truly sorry for those already there and/or planning to attend. It sucks.”
Robinson, who’s also a member of Airborne or Aquatic, had earlier described the festival as “a great weekend of music with a great mix of musical styles and some top local picks,” attracting 2,500 to 3,000 people — many of them repeat Hoxeyville attendees.
But he later notified Hoxeyville “friends and family” that the 2024 festival — after 23 years — would be “the final Hoxeyville. If you or anyone you know is on the fence waiting to join us, let them know this will be the swan song and curtain call. … All good things must come to an end. I’m doing my best to see this end as a new beginning and an opportunity to move on to other things that will bring this collective family joy in the future.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Hoxeyville Music Festival 2024 – The Performers
Photos by Anna Sink
Photos by Anna Sink
Copyright 2024, Spins on Music LLC
