Green River Festival History:

The Green River Festival originated as two separate events that were held just a week apart in 1986 at Greenfield Community College. The Franklin County Chamber Of Commerce sponsored their first Upcountry Balloon Fair on one weekend and then local radio station WRSI held their 5th anniversary party the following weekend and featured the bands NRBQ and 10,000 Maniacs. In the following years, the two events merged and eventually became the Green River Festival.

In the early years of the festival, the focus was on ballooning but that began to change in 1990 when the festival featured New Orleans music legend Dr. John and a full slate of nationally renown talent. In the 1990’s the festival presented many legends in the making in the roots music world, including Alison Krauss & Union Station, Taj Mahal, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings and many others.

In 2001, the festival changed its name to The Green River Festival and expanded the musical menu to include more artists and multiple music stages. Over the years, the festival has hosted dozens of music giants including established legends like Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Mavis Staples, Arlo Guthrie, Steve Earle, and more recent stars like The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, Neko Case, Calexico, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Cake, Molly Tuttle, Fountains Of Wayne, Old Crow Medicine Show, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and many others.