The Local Spin: Long Trail Festival set for weekend

Rutland’s second Long Trail Festival will be held this weekend at the Vermont State Fairgrounds. The festival, a gathering of avid hikers and wilderness enthusiasts, is a free, family-friendly celebration of Vermont’s historic Long Trail footpath and the untamed outdoors.

The three-day event will feature a variety of outdoor-related activities, workshops, exhibits, seminars, and various food vendors. More than a dozen Vermont-based bands are also set to provide a magnitude of music throughout the length of the festival.

Festivities begin on Friday night in Downtown Rutland as part of the summer’s weekly “Friday Night Live” event. George’s Back Pocket will open the stage on Center Street at 6:30 p.m., followed by headliners the Starline Rhythm Boys at 8 p.m.

Following the Friday night bands on Center Street, The Jake Geppert Band will perform into the midnight hours back at the Vermont State Fairgrounds main stage, where the remainder of the bands will perform throughout the weekend.

Several bands will perform during the afternoon on Saturday, including Gutterpup, Rick Redington & The Luv, Phil Henry and the Jim Gilmour Band. Saturday’s evening’s lineup includes Gypsy Reel, the Dirtminers and Shutefurmunde featuring Jeff Poremski and Casey Grant.

A special gospel brunch will kick off Sunday’s festivities at 11 a.m. with an open-mic contest set to follow. The Sunday afternoon music lineup features Wiley Dobbs, 35th Parallel and the Proctor Connection.

For more information, visit the festival Web site at www.longtrailfestivalvt.com.