Music
Photos by Mark Raker
Summer Beats: Hot August Music Festival 2024
August 2, 2024 @ 6:42am
Mark your calendars for August 10, 2024, as the 31st annual Hot August Music Festival (HAMF) returns to Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, MD. This beloved summer event promises a day filled with diverse musical performances, family-friendly activities, and a vibrant community atmosphere.
Musical Extravaganza
This year’s festival will feature an impressive lineup across two stages, offering non-stop music throughout the day. Headliners include the powerful vocals of Grace Potter and the genre-defying collective Snarky Puppy. The roster also boasts rising star Neal Francis, jam band favorite Eggy, and the eclectic Sam Grisman Project. Local talent shines with performances by Baltimore’s own Cris Jacobs, the energetic Pressing Strings, and guitar virtuoso Paul Reed Smith with his band Eightlock.
Festival co-owner Ryan Glaeser emphasizes the ample opportunity to enjoy multiple acts: “Most of the sets are 90 minutes or more. You have time to catch at least half a set of somebody and then go see someone else who might be playing at the same or overlapping.”
A special treat for festival-goers will be The Hot August Collective, a supergroup featuring some of the region’s finest musicians. Glaeser explains, “The Hot August Collective is basically just a bunch of local musician friends; Jonathan Sloane – who opened the festival last year on vocals and guitar, multi-award winning Ron Holloway on saxophone, Benjie Porecki on keys, Ben Tufts on drums, Bobby Thompson on vocals and guitar, and Christopher Brown on bass. It’s a bunch of really killer players.”
Family-Friendly Fun
HAMF continues its tradition of being an all-ages event. The Kids Corner will offer a variety of activities, ensuring younger attendees have just as much fun as the adults. Glaeser shares, “We’ll do hat-making again. My kids were at the festival last year, and they both made hats. They all loved it. The kids just go over there, and they have all kinds of supplies and people that can help them build their hats. There’s also coloring stuff and we’ll have a face painter this year as well.”
Emphasizing the festival’s family-friendly nature, Glaeser adds, “We’re very family-friendly. We don’t charge any children 12 and under. We do that because we want the parents to come out and have a good time. I feel like we’re a safe event. We don’t have issues. We have great security. There’s a great vibe.”
Local Vendors and Craft Beer
In addition to the music, attendees can enjoy a wide selection of food vendors and local beer options. Glaeser mentions, “We have a couple of vendors that were with us last year that have come back because I think people really liked those, and we’re trying some new things out. We want to start using as many local vendors as we can and use the people that are our neighbors in our community.”
Beer enthusiasts will be delighted to know that Union Craft Brewing has created a special beer for the occasion. Glaeser reveals, “We will have tons of Union Craft Beer. They brewed a new beer called Lightning Bug specifically for HAMF.”
This year HAMF will feature an enhanced VIP area that includes: exclusive parking, ully catered lunch and dinner, beer, wine, soda, and water, special viewing area, and VIP and handicap porta-potties.
Pre and Post-Festival Events
The festivities extend beyond the main event. On Friday night, there’s a pre-party at Union Craft Brewing featuring the Cris Jacobs Bluegrass Round-Up, another supergroup made up of Cris, Sam Grisman, Pat McAvinue, BJ Lazarus, and special guests Brad Kolodner, Cara Kelly, Ed Hough, Sam Guthridge, Jordan Tice, Alex Berman, and hosted by Sam Gallant and Lauren Tucker.
After the festival, the celebration continues with an afterparty at Mother’s North Grille, where The Hot August Collective will perform again.
With its diverse musical lineup, family-friendly atmosphere, local vendors, and special events, the 31st Hot August Music Festival promises to be a highlight of the summer. Take advantage of this opportunity to be part of a cherished Maryland tradition that offers something for everyone.
