The Sourland Planning Council has announced its lineup for its open-air Sourland Music Festival on July 21.
The event runs from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday (July 21) at the Hillsborough Country Club, 145 Wertsville Road, Hillsborough.
Attracting an audience of around 1,000, this event has been going strong for nine years and is the council’s major annual fundraiser. The rain date is July 22.
According to a website, “Sourland Mountain is a 17-mile-long ridge, extending from the Delaware River at Lambertville to the western end of Hillsborough Township near the community of Neshanic, through Montgomery Township and into Hopewell Township in Mercer County.”
It is made up of “the largest contiguous forest in Central Jersey, nearly 90 square miles in area. The highest point is only 568 feet above sea level, but the way it rises steeply from the surrounding farmland has earned it the title of ‘mountain’. The ridge itself sits within a larger area of rough terrain called The Sourlands.”
To place a focus on this special place, the festival promises “a good time to anyone who enjoys skillfully performed roots rock, blues, jazz, acoustic and bluegrass jams by accomplished local artists,” according to a spokesman.
Performers are The Ernie White Band, Laura Cheadle, Leslie Ford & Group, Chuck Schaeffer, Briz, and Todd Wolfe.
More information on the bands and ticket sales can be found at: www.sourlandmusicfest.org.
”It’s our own mini Woodstock. The festival is a family friendly day-long event overlooking the beautiful rolling hills of the Sourlands and the Amwell Valley. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and umbrella and sunscreen if you arrive early. Sorry, no coolers this year but lots of great new foods and drink available including beer and wine from the club,” said Tom Kilbourne, festival coordinator .
There will be a raffle of an Imagine Surf stand-up paddle board and paddle, courtesy of sponsor Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, of Princeton. A 50-50 raffle also is being held. There will be a variety of tables to visit from local businesses and nonprofit groups.
The festival is a Sourlands summertime tradition. “It’s a time to enjoy great music, deliciously prepared local foods and drink, meet friends and neighbors and play some games with the kids. Best of all, by enjoying a beautiful Sourland Mountain summer evening, the audience supports a worthy environmental cause and local artists,” said the spokesman.
A promotional event program — a memento to be given to each attendee — features a colorful Sourlands view painting by local artist, Nancy Herrington.
Find out more or buy tickets now at: http://www.sourlandmusicfest.org . Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children under 13, and free for children under 6.
The Sourland Planning Council, founded in 1986, is a nonprofit organization working to protect the ecological integrity, historical resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region. Over the past two decades the trustees and members have built a coalition that unites local residents, businesses, all levels of government and other conservation organizations for the purpose of maintaining the environmental quality and the rural nature of the Sourland Mountain.
The Sourland Mountain provides irreplaceable wildlife habitat and is a critical stopover for migratory birds along the Atlantic flyway.
Historically significant from the colonial period, its rockiness has constrained intense development. But while some portions are protected parkland and preserved open space, other portions are not. Its forest canopy, wetlands, fragile aquifer and headwater streams still need to be protected from over-development and pollution.
— Ruth Luse

