JERMYN — Do you need some fun in your life after your three-day weekend? Well, look no further than Mountain Sky’s debut of NEPA-Palooza. Pack your coolers, grab the tent, and put the whole family in the car to spend the weekend outdoors while listening to local music.
“I wanted to showcase them (the bands) all in one place,” said event organizer, Chris ‘Kamala’ Towns. “So the name, NEPA-Palooza, pronounced ‘nee-pa-palooza,’ came naturally since all but one of the bands are from Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
According to Towns, NEPA-Palooza is a revision of Mountain Sky’s “Original Music Showcase.” The festival is May 29 and 30 at the 117-acre woods and fields of Mountain Sky.
“After two years of bad weather and poor turnout, we decided to try a slightly different angel,” Towns said. “We removed the ‘all original’ aspect from the event and it made our booking options a lot more flexible. It also took the pressure off some of the bands who might not have enough original material to play a full set.”
All the bands on the bill are from the area. Bands including Skip Monday, Rogue Chimp, Eye on Attraction and Mock Sun will take the stage.
Eye on Attraction is a progressive pop band based out of Scranton. They are an original band but may play a cover song or two during their set.
“We do some covers so people can warm up to us,” said guitarist Mike Trischetta. “We love playing for local crowds and it is awesome when people actually know the words to our own songs. We have heard great things about Mountain Sky and are really optimistic about it.”
Mountain Sky invites everyone to come “chill” at the event. The venue is family-friendly with designated areas for quiet camping with a small playground and pavement for chalk drawings. Pets are welcome. For the optimal festival experience, camping on Friday and Saturday is encouraged.
The event is “bring your own beverage,” but no glass is permitted. Mountain Sky does check identification at the gate and those 21 and older will get bracelets to indicate they’re old enough to drink. There will be fire pit rentals and wood to purchase.
There will be a yoga class at noon on Saturday. A photo booth, food and craft vendors, face painters, live painters, and games for the whole family will be on hand during the event.
“We encourage everyone to bring whatever they need to make Mountain Sky their home for the weekend,” Towns said. “We have reasonable prices from a $2 slice of pizza to a $1 bottle of water. We want everyone to come experience some free-range fun!”
