All Photos By Rita Plante
Levitate Music and Arts Festival brought lovers of all things music, local art, and food to the Marshfield Fairgrounds in Marshfield, Massachusetts for a weekend full of fun and discovery. I had the pleasure of attending the festival Saturday and my experience was unlike any music festival I have ever attended. Levitate excelled at providing all the positives of a music festival without any of the stress and hassle.
An abundance of live music, live art demonstrations, and dozens of vendors created the perfect combination of activities to create the feel that you were at a large music festival while keeping the local fair vibe. Vendors ranged from local jewelers, crystals and spirituality shops, handmade and recycled clothing, sustainability advocates, and more. Artists were working on pieces throughout the weekend using all different mediums including chalk and paint. The variety of talent displayed at this festival was unlike any that I have attended in the past and was quite inspiring to watch.
Fans of jam bands saw no shortage of music at Levitate. I caught sets from mainstays Umphrey’s McGee, Grateful Dead legend Phil Lesh, and up and comers Melt and Too Many Zooz. My favorite set of the day was Melt. The DIY band gave a performance full of soul and charisma aligning with the legends they shared the stage with throughout the weekend. The band was formed following a battle of the bands they won in high school and has stayed together throughout college and is set to depart on their first large tour this fall. Check out a full interview with the band here.
Overall, Levitate surprised me. As a fan of music festivals, but not necessarily a fan of jam bands, I was able to enjoy the experience without having many bands that aligned with my music taste on the lineup. When it comes to deciding to attend a music festival, sometimes the experience outweighs the lineup, and I would say that Levitate was one of those festivals that anyone can enjoy regardless of the bands on stage. The vibe they created was so welcoming of all attendees, music, vendors, and artists, truly making every person who stepped through those gates feel inspired and excited for what the weekend had in store.