Music will take over the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds this weekend.
Some Kind of Jam 8 returns to the venue in Summit Station for three days of music, activities and camping. Gates open at 9 a.m. today and the festival runs until 5 p.m. Sunday. Weekend passes are $80, which includes music and camping. An overnight ticket will be available on Saturday for $60. Children 12 and younger are free with a legal guardian.
According to the Jibberjazz Productions website, jibberjazz.com, Some Kind of Jam 8 is expected to be its biggest festival of the year.
"We have a pretty steady growth," said Todd Troutman of Jibberjazz Productions. He said the annual event has been held at the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds for three or four years.
This year's festival will have 25 acts performing on four stages. Troutman said the acts are coming from all across the United States, including California, Oregon, Louisiana and the New England states.
The music begins at 12:30 p.m. today on the main stage. Two other locations, the musical madness stage and the campground gazebo, will also be used for performances throughout the weekend. The festival will move to an indoor stage for thelate-night performances today and Saturday.
In addition to the music, the event will have food and craft vendors, kids activities, yoga and workshops, among other festivities.
Troutman said they are expecting about 30 craft vendors, displaying products such as clothing, art and instruments.
"It will be a nice hodgepodge of many things you don't see ⦠in the region," Troutman said.
The camping sites will be open at the fairgrounds for the duration of the festival. Weekend passes for RVs are $50, which includes electricity. There will also be a designated "family camping" area with quiet hours after midnight.
The showers and restrooms at the fairgrounds will also be available for the festivalgoers.
According to the website, the festival is a "hassle-free" environment to showcase out-of-market and up-and-coming bands mixed with a multitude of other activities and talents.
"(The festival is) good people, good times and a lot of variety," Troutman said.
Established in 2005, Jibberjazz Productions has been producing music festivals to promote new artists and bands from around the country and introduce their music to a wide range of audiences.
For more information on Some Kind of Jam 8, visit www.jibberjazz.com/skoj8.
