ROYALSTON – Royalston Music Fest 2025 is offering music fans two opportunities to enjoy some popular local bands this year. The lineup includes a number of familiar favorites as well as some new entertainment.
“We’re having two fests,” said event organizer Jim Taylor, “one in July near Royalston Common, at Bullock Park, and then the other is in South Royalston in August at the gazebo. We have two of them now because South Royalston wants to revitalize and we want to help them out by having an event there.”
Despite the added venue, Taylor said there have been few bumps in the planning process.
“It’s been pretty smooth sailing,” he said. “Once you get the first one done, you’re already kind of in the groove for the second one. Once you’ve gone through all of the logistics of making the first one happen, making the second one happen goes pretty smoothly.”
When it comes to making the event a success, Taylor said, “I’d really like to thank the community for its enthusiasm. The open mic night has been more popular than ever. Everybody’s always excited and happy to come to it and I think a lot of that same momentum is going toward the music fest this year. The bands that play at the music fest are the cream of the crop from past open mic nights.”
The Royalston Music Fest became an annual event starting in 2003, according to Taylor. It has been held every year since, with the exception of 2020, and so this will be its 22nd year.
As for this year’s lineup, Taylor said, “The Not Just Rita Band – we’ve never had them before so that makes them a new act. We also have West End Country, we’ve had them once before. The Williams Brothers is always a favorite, they always draw a big crowd.”
The first installment of Royalston Music Fest 2025 takes place this Sunday, July 13, from noon to 4 p.m. at Bullock Park at Royalston Common. The lineup for the afternoon is Not Just Rita Band, Garold Amadon, Ryan Hood and John Currie.
The second day of the fest will be on Sunday, Aug. 10, from noon to 4 p.m., featuring West End Country, The Williams Brothers, and what is being billed as “special guests.”
The event is free, and there will be food available with members of the Royalston Fire Department manning the grill.
“I’d personally like to thank the Royalston Cultural Council for making the Music Fest possible,” Taylor said. “We have a great mix of new and existing members. As the popularity of the First Friday Open Mic Series and The Music Fest has grown, so has the enthusiasm and dedication of the RCC to make these events better and better. When the upcoming season of the First Friday Open Mic series takes off in October, guests and performers alike will be greeted with new improvements in the sound system and room acoustics.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.