After being canceled in 2010 due to scheduling conflicts, the Rothbury Music Festival — renamed this year as Electric Forest — is back on for 2011, scheduled for June 30-July 3.
REO Speedwagon, The String Cheese Incident and Pretty Lights are headlining this year.
The festival, held at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich., has added many new attractions this year to help boost their sales, including a water park, horseback riding and a life-size game of Mousetrap.
Choosing from a number of “Good Life” VIP packages for an additional cost gives the opporunity to enjoy these activities. But for those simply going for the music, there are some excellent performances in store.
Many acts from 2009’s festival are returning to perform, including The String Cheese Incident and Ann Arbor’s own The MacPodz and The Ragbirds.
JJ Grey and Mofro, a rock band out of Jackson, Fla., will also be performing. The band’s frontman, JJ Grey, was featured on Ann Arbor’s Acoustic Cafe radio station — 107.1 FM — with host Rob Reinhart in 2010.
They have performed numerous times in the Ypsi-Arbor area, including last year’s Ann Arbor Summer Festival, and they have become a fast hit with the urban community.
Electric Forest strives for a completely ‘green’ experience. In 2009, the festival was filled with compost and recycle bins — this year will be no different.
A food drive has also been added, and Electric Forest attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable canned goods to donate. All donations will go to local Michigan food pantries.
The weekend schedule has been announced and can be found at the website. Doors open Thursday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m., with the first performance, the band Lynx, starting at 6:15 p.m.
The String Cheese Incident is scheduled to play three nights in a row with two sets each night.
Yoga sessions will also be available to enjoy Friday-Sunday mornings from 12-1 p.m. to start off each day.
Weekend tickets cost $239.50, which includes a 4-day pass to all festivities plus onsite camping/parking. RV passes are available for an extra $125. All information and tickets can be purchased online http://www.electricforestfestival.com/.
