Eleyet McConnell, the husband-wife duo of Chris McConnell and Angie (Eleyet) McConnell, has gained a loyal following in central Ohio.
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The 22nd annual Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival at Freshwater Farms of Ohio, just north of Urbana, will offer guests an entertaining variety of live music to enjoy with food and beverages from a variety of food trucks and vendors, including seafood prepared by Freshwater Farms.
A total of 12 bands – four each day of the festival, Sept. 7, 14 and 21 – represent an array of genres, including rock, Celtic, American roots and bluegrass, Motown and funk, blues, and even polka with a punk rock inflection.
Other activities for kids and families include bounce houses, games, face painting, balloon sculptures, the farm’s sturgeon petting zoo and critter displays, trout feeding frenzy, Pirate Treasure Sand Dig, and vendors, including local merchants and artisans.
Festival-goers can enjoy food and music at tables and chairs set up in front of the outdoor stage, some under tents. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome.
Besides the stage area, additional tables and seating will be available for enjoying meals and drinks in the farm’s fountain display area and the R.A.I.N.B.O.W. Project, which features a wisteria dome and wildflower meadow maze.
Bands
Sept. 7
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Eleyet McConnell, the husband-wife duo of Chris McConnell and Angie (Eleyet) McConnell, has gained a loyal following in central Ohio. They captivate audiences with their storytelling in a variety of musical genres. Angie delivers lyrics with a fierce, soulful, edgy style, influenced by Beth Hart, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Janis Joplin, Bad Company, Merle Haggard, the Eagles and some gospel. Chris has developed his musical expertise over 50 years of live performance, touring and studio work. They released their debut album, “Crazy World,” in 2023. The International Singer-Songwriters Association recently awarded them gold for USA Band Single of the Year, for “Surrender,” from that album, and bronze for USA Band Album of the Year. Last year, they won the Independent Music Network award for New Discovery Artist.
2-4 p.m.: Dulahan blends traditional Celtic music with hints of roots/Americana. The four-member band combines powerful three- and four-part vocal harmonies with layers of instrumentation. Dulahan recently released its eleventh album of original songs, “Bumps in the Road.”
4:30-6:30 p.m.: The Usual Suspects and the Repeat Offenders is a 10-piece band, with a five-piece horn section, that’s been delivering high-energy performances in central Ohio since 2009. The band brings audiences to their feet with blues, southern rock, Motown and funk, and featuring artists like The Blues Brothers, Bruno Mars, James Brown, Santana, Clapton, Commodores, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tower of Power and Chicago.
7-9 p.m.: McGuffey Lane has enjoyed years of popularity in country rock after forming in the early ‘70s in central Ohio. In the early ‘80s, the band joined national tours with Charlie Daniels, the Allman Brothers, the Judds and the Marshall Tucker Band.
The band released its 11th and latest CD, “Legend of the Red Eye,” in 2017, paying tribute to its time as the house band at Zachariah’s Red Eye Saloon in Columbus. McGuffey Lane organized the First Annual Zachariah’s Red Eye Saloon Reunion in 2001 and played to yet another capacity crowd at the 2023 reunion show at Kemba LIVE in downtown Columbus.
Sept. 14
Noon to 1:30 p.m.: The Muleskinner Band, a local favorite featuring Bill Purk, incorporates tunes from the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s with a healthy dose of gospel, sing-a-longs and light-hearted interaction with their audiences. The band performs extensively throughout Ohio, as well as West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.
2-4 p.m.: The Wayfarers, from rural southeast Ohio, emerged onto the scene in early 2010, playing their own form of American roots music. Old-time radio shows inspire their repertoire, which encompasses Appalachian dance music, traditional mountain fiddle tunes and pre-bluegrass music of the 1920s. The Wayfarers have been featured on the national PBS television series “Song of the Mountains.” They’ve toured much of the Midwest and southern Appalachia, released four studio albums and have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in bluegrass and country music, including Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Dailey and Vincent, Lonesome River Band, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Rhonda Vincent, Marty Raybon and Jerry Douglas.
4:30-6:30 p.m.: Steve Free is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning singer/songwriter/recording artist, considered one of music’s top folk artists in the U.S. and Europe. The winner of numerous awards including nine ASCAP awards, a platinum record and a Grammy nomination, he has charted over 30 songs on the national and international, Americana, country and Billboard charts, including 15 #1 songs.
In 2008 he won the Governor’s Award as the top artist in Ohio, his home state, and in 2009 was honored by the Kentucky State Senate for his musical contributions to Appalachia. He is an Ohio Arts Council and Midwest Arts Council “Ohio Artist on Tour. “
7-9 p.m.: Paul Kovac Big Grass Band. Musician Paul Kovac is a skilled multi-instrumentalist, singer, bandleader and songwriter who applies himself to a wide variety of music styles, including bluegrass. He has been an Ohio Arts Council “Ohio Artist on Tour” since 1988 and has performed for a wide range of accomplished musicians such as Bill Monroe and Chet Atkins.
Sept. 21
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Honey Compass is a heartland favorite that has toured Ohio and beyond for 12 years. The country duo of Gina’Rie and Dan Snodgrass has opened for Little Texas and Canaan Smith. They’ve released their second album, “The Collection,” on all streaming platforms. They perform their own music as well as ‘70s rock, old school country and current top 40.
2-4 p.m.: L.A. Band has opened for many famous rhythm and blues and jazz musicians and played for artists such as John Mellencamp, Little Anthony, Peabo Bryson, The Ohio Players and Rick James. The band plays music of artists such as Earth Wind and Fire, Bruno Mars, Kool and the Gang, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, The Weeknd, Isley Brothers, Gap Band, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Cameo, Prince, Doobie Brothers and Peter Gabriel.
4:30-6:30 p.m.: New Basics Brass Band specializes in sousaphone-powered feel-good music. They started out in 1995 as tenderfoot college music students and have since performed hundreds of live shows, recorded four studio albums and recorded with legends like Bootsy Collins and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
7-9 p.m.: Chardon Polka Band stays true to the tradition of polka music, while introducing the rollicking art form to a new generation, with polka-rock and polka-punk rock arrangements. Ambassadors of polka, the band recently earned an Emmy award for their series “The World According to Polka,” broadcast on PBS Western Reserve.
The band was formed in 2003 as The Chardon High School Polka Band when a group of friends discovered there was no place for an accordion in the high school marching band. Despite their ripped jeans, long (and even pink) hair, piercings and tattoos, they found a loyal following in local nursing homes. And classmates donned “Support Your Local Polka Band” t-shirts.
The band has become a popular act in the fall “Oktoberfest circuit,” headlining some of the nation’s largest seasonal events, and maintains a faithful fanbase in the greater Cleveland area.
Cost: Free parking; order discounted early-bird tickets online before Sept. 2 at fwfarms.com/2024-ohio-fish-shrimp-festival-admission, $7 per general admission ticket (ages 13 and up) and $4 for ages 3 to 12; or pay at the gate, $10 for general admission, ages 13 and up and $5 for ages 3 to 12. Admission is free for 2 and under. Admission covers live music, the farm’s sturgeon petting zoo, fish and critter displays, bounce houses, art and craft vendors and the kid’s play zone.
For more information about the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival, visit fwfarms.com/festival or the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival Facebook page.
Submitted by Freshwater Farms
