Bliss is back: Blissfest returns with 40th annual festival next week

HARBOR SPRINGS — Thousands of people are getting ready to come together and celebrate folk art and music with the return of the Blissfest Music Festival.

The 40th annual Blissfest Music Festival kicks off next week July 8-10 near Cross Village. This year's celebratory 40th anniversary also marks its return following two years of pandemic caused cancellations. 

"It's exciting and a relief for us to be having our festival again," said executive director Cindy McSurely.

"I know from the communication we have received over the last few months that many people have missed this event and cannot wait to return," she said. 

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The festival's return also marks McSurely's first as the organization's director following the founding director, Jim Gillespie's, retirement in 2020. 

"Like many others, I started coming to Blissfest as a young person and it was inspiring," she said. 

"Attending the event was like charging my batteries. I think it was the festival grounds and of course all the wonderful new music we discovered that kept us coming back year after year." 

McSurely said it's the great music that really makes this festival special for the many patrons who attend every year, and this festival is no different. 

The lineup consists of popular folk and roots, rock, blues, Americana, reggae and more, with headliners Shawn Colvin and Leftover Salmon. 

The entirety of the music lineup also includes a number of international, national, regional and heavy hitting talent from across the state, including Laith Al-Saadi, The Accidentals, May Erlewine, the Go Rounds, Seth Bernard, Earth Radio, Patty PerShayla & the Mayhaps, Jordan Hamilton and many more.

Local acts booked for this year's festival also includes the likes of the Galactic Sherpas, Botala, Dr. Goodhart’s Home Remedy, The Shouting Bones, The Lonely Lovers, Kirby, The Real Ingredients, Pistil Whips and many more. 

"The festival is a great opportunity to bring in these national and international acts to Northern Michigan as we don't always get the chance to have that level of music in our area that often," said the organization's talent buyer Caroline Barlow. 

"This year is really Michigan heavy and we have rebooked a lot of the original lineup from the original 2020 lineup and festival curated by our former director Jim Gillespie and myself. This year is a combination of that and a few new acts we were able to get," she said. 

The festival promises to deliver a slew of music but also includes a number of other family-friendly activities and areas for those interested. 

Various food trucks and art vendors will line the festival grounds near its main stage, there will be a Bliss store with various festival merchandise, a kids area, workshops and much more. 

"The festival is important to us and many others and we are happy to be having it again," said McSurely. 

"I think Blissfest has made a great impact on both the region and those who live here and has been a catalyst for good and creativity for decades. I wish we could only measure it and cannot wait to welcome in our festival-goers next week for another amazing festival," she said. 

Tickets for the upcoming festival are on sale and still available now at www.blissfestfestival.org, www.blissfest.org by calling (231) 348-7047. 

More information about the upcoming festival including a complete lineup, festival rules, camping information and more can also be found online at www.blissfestfestival.org or www.blissfest.org. 

Contact reporter Sean Miller at smiller@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @seanmillerpnr, and Instagram, @sean_everest.