ITHACA, N.Y. — If you were on the lawns or under the willow trees of Stewart Park Saturday – or maybe drifting across the water of Cayuga Lake – you could hear the reggae music. The annual Ithaca Reggae Fest took place June 29 this year, and hundreds of folks gathered on the waterfront for a day of music, food, art, games, yoga, educational activities, skateboarding and much more.
The festival, which featured an “Education Village” focused on the value and protection of Cayuga Lake, abounded with thoughtful environmentally friendly accommodations. For instance, in accordance with the ‘PLASTIC FREE revolution’ there was little to no plastic to be found at the festival and filtered drinking water was provided for free to reusable containers. Further, there was a large, free solar energy kiosk provided by Renovus, which provided power to charge phones and devices, shade from the hot sun and was complete with free WiFi.
Two music stages ensured that dancing was a constant as bands were seamlessly transitioning throughout the day. The eight acts on the main stage included Dub Apocalypse, E.N Young, Cha Cha & the Medicinals, Double Tiger Sounds, Kevin Kinsella, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and singer Mykal Rose performed with legendary rhythm section, drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Lloyd Parks. And much more than just an intermission, The Analogue Sons performed on the Leslie Puryear Stage as the main stage acts transitioned.
In typical local festival fashion, The Ithaca Voice staff was with the crowd finding out what folks young and grown thought of the event.
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