“Five years ago, I started this event to showcase the East End’s amazingly talented musicians along with talent from all over the country,” says Ken Giustino, a Montauk native and founder of the Montauk Music Festival. “It paved the way to make Montauk even more of a music destination than it has historically been, and at the same time offered a way to extend Montauk’s tourist season.”
The 5th Annual Montauk Music Festival will feature more than 100 Indie bands and musical artists from the East End as well as the nation. Set to take place Thursday, May 15 through Sunday, May 18, the free festival celebrates music and culture for four days on one of the most scenic Long Island Villages. Concerts will take place on Montauk’s Village Green and include genres such as Rock, Pop, Bluegrass, Reggae, Soul, Alternative, and Folk.
The rest of Montauk is also participating in the festival which is expected to attract around 15,000 attendees. “The business community is keyed up for this early spring event which draws thousands of performers and spectators to Montauk in a normally quiet time,” says Laraine Creegan, executive director of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce. Motels throughout Montauk are offering discounted rates for festival attendees, while the Montauk Chamber of Commerce will sell food and beverages on the Village Green on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. T-shirts as well as CD’s of the performing musicians will also be available.
Sean Dalton and Tarik Solangi of Ocean Productions are partners in producing this year’s festival. Dalton and Solangi will bring their expertise in sound and lighting systems, as well as an experienced ear to keep only the highest quality performers and performances in the future.
The Festival will debut with an opening night party at Gurney’s Inn (290 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, 631-668-2345, www.gurneysinn.com) on Thursday, May 15, from 7 to 11 p.m. For $40, attendees can meet the band members, enjoy a four hour open bar, hors d’oeuvres, as well as live performances. Participating musicians are invited to attend a free industry workshop at Gurney’s Inn on Friday, May 16 from 2 to 4 p.m.
For more information visit www.montaukmusicfestival.com.