Sourland Mountain Festival Returns this Saturday!
On Saturday July 23rd, from 3:00 – 8:30pm, the Sourland Conservancy will host the 17th Annual Sourland Mountain Festival presented by Unionville Vineyards featuring live music, local food, craft beer, wine and spirits, mountain history, and family activities. Proceeds will benefit the work of the Sourland Conservancy, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the history and ecology of the Sourland Mountain region of Central New Jersey.
This year’s line-up includes four popular bands with local roots: Water Street, Rainbow Fresh, James Popik and Supernova, and Sweet Fanny Adams. Please visit the Mountain Fest’s website to learn more about the bands and listen to sample tracks.
In addition to the music, guests will enjoy delicious food and drink from local vendors including Unionville Vineyards, Sourland Mountain Spirits, Flounder Brewing Company, Blawenburg Bistro, Thai Cha Chak, Johnson Family Ice Cream, We Squeeze to Please Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Barn Find Barrel Aged Coffees, and AMA Pizza & Cucina.
A dazzling array of crafts and services will delight Festival guests: Ben D. Straw, Press T Designs, Freitag Arts, Dandelion Wishes, Seeds to Sew International, Nonesuch Studio, Whitehouse Station Sauce Company, Wild Bone Alchemy, Turtlemoon Studios, Carlina’s Line, Sailor Tarot Magic, Applied Illustrations, Bracelets from the Heart, Herbal Healers CBD, and The Abby Way Face & Body Painting.
The Sourland Mountain Festival truly has something for everyone, and this year’s event will offer a wide array of educational exhibits featuring the Conservancy’s partner organizations. The Cool Critters area will host alpacas, amphibians and other animals. Guests may pet some of the critters, ask questions of naturalists and farmers, and watch live demonstrations. Presenters will include Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, The Watershed Institute, Sankofa Collaborative, Van Harlingen Historical Society, Hunterdon County Historical Society, NJ DEP, Raritan Headwaters Association, NJ Highlands Coalition, Outdoor Equity Alliance, Montgomery Friends of Open Space, New Jersey Audubon, and more!
Proceeds from the Sourland Mountain Festival will support the Sourland Conservancy’s mission to protect, promote and preserve the unique character of the Sourland Mountain region. The 90-square-mile Sourland region is home to the largest contiguous forest in Central New Jersey. It encompasses a complex ecosystem of forest, wetlands and grasslands, and is home to an incredibly rich diversity of animal and plant species, many rare or endangered. The forest is especially important as a breeding area for migratory songbirds, particularly those who nest only in large wooded areas.
The US Forest service estimates that over one million trees are dying in the region due to an invasive insect, the emerald ash borer. This loss will impact the forest’s ability to prevent flooding, filter drinking water, produce oxygen, sequester carbon, and provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. The Conservancy is working to plant trees on public and private lands—and protect them from deer browse. Last year, SC volunteers and staff worked with its partners to plant over 11,500 trees in public parks and preserves throughout the region!
Board President, Dante DiPirro, said, “The Festival offers a chance to hear great music while enjoying an afternoon and evening in the beautiful Sourlands, learning about the importance of the region, and supporting the Conservancy’s critical work.” The Festival is one the Conservancy’s two signature events. The Sourland Spectacular bicycle rally kickoff will be held this year on September 10th with the “at your own pace” hiking, cycling, and running event continuing through September 18th.
In addition to the rich ecology of the region, the Sourland Mountain has an important role in making this area such a great place for people to live, enjoy recreational activities, and do business. It provides healthy leisure opportunities, a chance to get away from the stress of everyday life and enhances the quality of life for those communities based in and around it. Mike Barasch of Coldwell Banker Realty said, “It’s not just that I personally love having the Mountain on my doorstep, it really enhances the attractiveness of the area and that is why we are supporting the great work of the Conservancy.”
The Sourland Conservancy board and staff would like to thank all of the volunteers who work tirelessly to make the Sourland Mountain Festival a wonderful community event. They would like to offer special thanks to the Mountain Fest Committee—especially Festival Co-chairs, Suzanne Parsons and Alison Kavchok. They would also like to thank the Festival sponsors and the bands and crews whose support is critical to the success of the event, and especially the Conservancy’s annual business partners who support the Conservancy year-round: Kilbourne & Kilbourne, The Ryland Inn, Pinelands Nursery, Sourland Cycles, Sourland Mountain Spirits, Dandelion Wishes, Michelle Baker Design, TechNeed, and the Bent Spoon.
Presenting Sponsor, Unionville Vineyards, will host the event at their historic estate on Rocktown Road in Ringoes, New Jersey. The Ryland Inn will provide the VIP Service at the Festival with a focus on locally sourced, responsibly grown food. Festival sponsors include Bank of Princeton, Green Power Energy, Kilbourne & Kilbourne, Union Chill Cannabis Company, Union Line Garage, Stellitano Heating and Air Conditioning, ShopRite of Hunterdon County, Basil Bandwagon, Art Sparks, Flemington Car & Truck Country, Belle Mead Co-op, Jenna Casper Bloom, and Press T Designs.
The 17th Sourland Mountain Festival will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2022, 3:00pm – 8:30pm at Unionville Vineyards 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes NJ. Ticket sales are limited to 1,000 and may not be available at the gate! Adults $30 ($40 at the gate); Young People (12-18) $10 ($15 at the gate); Children under 12, FREE. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.sourland.org/
