Briar Patch Music Festival will kick off daylong jam in Colquitt on Saturday
ALBANY – Festival founder Jeb Tabb never imagined that the Briar Patch Music Festival would be celebrating its 15th year when he first planned the festival.
“I was 24 when the idea for this festival was first conceived,” Tabb said, “Fifteen years was a huge number, relatively speaking, at that age. I’m just glad that people keep coming back and hopefully it will continue to grow.”
The 15th annual Briar Patch Fest kicks off on Saturday, rain or shine with an admission price of $20.
In recent years, the festival has relocated from its original patch in Damascus to the city of Colquitt, where it plays under the watchful eye of the 100-foot-tall iconic mural celebrating the area's agriculture legacy.
This year’s festival will feature the music of Revival, Dirty Bird & the Flu, Evan Barber & the Dead Gamblers, Red Hoss Suckas, Loose Change, and Jeb & Friends, with Lou Wamp as “artist at large.” Music will begin at 3 p.m. with gates opening at 2 p.m.
“I’m very excited to have my friend Lou Wamp down to be our artist at large,” Tabb said of the new addition to the festival. “Electric steel guitar and dobro aren’t very common around here, and he will have the opportunity to sit in with all artists at will. I own a dobro, so selfishly, I will use this as a great learning experience as well.”
The daylong festival will feature food truck options serving up barbeque and seafood as well as indoor restrooms and an on-site bar available on the property. This year’s Briar Patch will be a fundraiser for the Colquitt Miller Arts Council. Briar Patch is a natural extension of the Arts Council’s goal, according to Executive Director Krista Ticktin.
“Music is an art form that brings people together, so we are thrilled to have it in our backyard for people to enjoy alongside their neighbor, if even for just a few hours,” she said. “The language of the music is powerful.”
At the end of the day, Briar Patch is a labor of love from all involved in order to celebrate the music, and the crowd is the final ingredient to make the day great.
“We would love to see everyone out here listening to blues, bluegrass, and rock and roll at the longest-running outdoor music event in the state of Georgia,” Tabb said. “Most ticketed events with musicians of this quantity and quality would cost around $75 to attend. Also, this is way better than driving an hour or more out of town for a show, when the best is right here in Colquitt.”
Festival tickets may be purchased for $20 at www.swampgravy.com or by calling the box office at (229) 758-5450. Parking for the festival will be located behind Cotton Hall Theater.
Blankets and chairs are recommended, but no coolers will be allowed.
