ALTON - The 7th Happy Trails Music & Arts Festival Winter Jam is scheduled for this weekend, and the lineup includes several local and St. Louis bands over two days.
On Friday, Jan. 26 and Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, attendees can enjoy eight bands and nearly 20 arts and crafts vendors at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton. Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, Colt Ball & Friends and more will play throughout the two days.
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“I’m just trying to throw a fun party for my friends and the community,” said organizer Marshall Ingrassia. “It started just to basically throw a party, bring some music in. In the wintertime, there’s not a lot going on. I like going to summer music festivals and I’m trying to bring that vibe to Alton in the wintertime to give everybody something to do.”
Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and bands begin playing at 6:05 p.m., starting with Sandwich Bros. Band, Darry Garcia’s Lonesome Blues, and Joshua Grassle & Friends and ending with Kirkos from 10–11 p.m. On Saturday, doors open at 3:30 p.m. and bands begin playing at 4:20 p.m., including Pickin’ Buds, CornFish, Colt Ball & Friends and Aaron Kamm & The One Drops.
There are 200 tickets available for both days and they are selling fast, so Ingrassia encourages people to buy tickets online ahead of time. Tickets cost $20 on Friday and $30 on Saturday.
After the show ends at 11 p.m. on Saturday, attendees and community members are also invited to an afterparty at The Conservatory. DJ BDK will play music, followed by sets by Colt Ball & Friends and Spillie Nelson.
Ingrassia promises an “intimate show” and good experience with the bands and vendors, most of whom are personal friends of his. He noted that the winter months can be difficult for people, so he hopes the festival will provide a fun outlet for attendees to enjoy.
“We’re shaking the winter blues here,” he added. “Holidays are behind us, we’ve got another month or so of icy cold weather, so it’s just all about having fun, shaking some winter blues. Wintertime, December, January can be kind of a depressing time of year with it being so cold and so cloudy all the time. So it’s just to have some fun.”
For more information about the Happy Trails Music & Arts Festival Winter Jam, visit the official Facebook event page or website at HappyTrailsMusicAndArtsFestival.net.
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