Rothbury Music Festival is an ideal Fourth of July weekend vacation

June 30, 9:37 PMChicago Adventure Travel ExaminerTed Nelson

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Vacation to Rothbury, Michigan this Fourth of July weekend for the Rothbury Music Festival and have an amazing adventure travel weekend. One usually does not think to include a music festival in the adventure travel category, however outdoor concert festivals have all the attributes of an adventure travel trip. These attributes include long car rides to the destination, camping outdoors, dealing with mosquitoes and the weather, and spending long periods of time with friends. Add to this one of the hottest festival music line ups of the summer and it has all the makings for an amazing adventure.

Rothbury, Michigan is about a 3.5 hour drive from Chicago and is located just north of Muskegon, Michigan on U.S. 31.  The festival’s big draw is that it is the only summer performance for the Dead this year. Other headliners include Bob Dylan, the only 2009 performance for the String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson and the Family, and the Black Crowes to only name a few. The lineup tends to lean toward the jam band and bluegrass genres, but there are quite a few indie rock bands as well including Cold War Kids and the Hold Steady.

A couple of under the radar groups that will be performing that are not to be missed are Son Volt and the Sam Roberts Band. Son Volt is fronted by former Uncle Tupelo member Jay Farrar who split with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy to form this great alternate country band. For some reason, despite putting out some of the best music in the late 1990’s including their seminal work Trace, they continue to remain undiscovered by the masses.

I saw the Sam Roberts Band play at Lollapalooza a couple of years ago and was amazed at the raucous crowd that really helped make the show. They hail from Canada and you can be sure that their countrymen will cross the border to make the show. They might not have the largest contingent present, but their fans will be the most electric. Head on over to their set and have fun.

What is great about these summer music festivals is that the music is only half the good times. The camping, the partying, meeting new interesting people, bonding with your friends are the best that these festivals have to offer and definitely an adventure. So come to Rothbury, Michigan this Fourth of July and camp and have a great time while the incredible lineup provided by the festival will create all the musical fireworks you will need this Independence Day.