PREVIEW: Safe & Soundz is Starting Summer Camp Early
5/29 - 6/1 @ Magic Forest Farm, Coeyman’s Hollow
“My goal is to get the community involved as much as I possibly can, because we're nothing without the community. Otherwise, I'm just one guy in an empty field listening to music by myself.”
Safe & SoundZ Summer Camp Music Festival is returning for its fourth edition. The long-running, on again off again festival marks its second time at Magic Forest Farms in Coeyman’s Hollow, NY (the first being in 2021, which was also the last time the festival was held).
Starting as a wedding celebration in 2017 for festival organizer George Adler (of Shepeard Productions in the Boston/Worcester, MA area), his vision has continued to evolve along with his love of music and event production. Starting as a bouncer at the Electric Haze in Worcester in 2017, he is currently their Talent Buyer. He is also the Manager for acts like John Ferrara (Consider The Source, Mono Means One) and Leon Trout through Loose Leaf Talent Agency; both of whom will be performing. George sees Safe & SoundZ Festival as the culmination of his “addiction for creating something.”
Safe & Soundz Festival is a celebration of music, the arts, and the community, which is a very important aspect of the event to George.
“My goal is to get the community involved as much as I possibly can, because we're nothing without the community,” he told me. “Otherwise, I'm just one guy in an empty field listening to music by myself.”
The way he is doing that is by making this festival about more than just music, although the music lineup is more than worthy of attracting festival goers on its own. The lineup features an eclectic lineup of acts ranging from nationally recognized like Random Rab, DoS (Random Rab + Lapa of Emancipator), and Fackin’ A (ft. Members of LeSpecial and Mike Dillon), to local and regional acts like Cosmal, The E-Block and Solar Circuit. There will also be a “takeover” with help from Albany’s Sugar Productions, which is owned by Shane Spillenger. Shane owns beloved local venues Nanola (Malta) and Ophelia’s (Albany), and is the founder of Albany’s PearlPalooza. The takeover will feature local acts like DVSH and Hazeyy, amongst others.
Then the summer camp vibes will be brought with some very special activities. Utilizing a projector and screen on the main stage, there will be a Super Smash Bros tournament with prizes and movies to be shown (including an October favorite that is shown at the Palace Theatre in Albany annually, with props provided *wink wink*), yoga, meditations, health and entertainment workshops, and even a clown and magician performing. While the festival is not explicitly geared towards families, a testament to the communal nature of this event is that minors under the age of eighteen are allowed but must be always accompanied by someone 21+ allowing there to be a more inclusive vibe.
With the attendance capped at 300 people, George says this allows the festival to maintain an intimate setting while still providing a full crowd feel for the music. He favors festivals where you get to know the same people over the course of a few days, as opposed to maybe seeing the same person twice, if you’re lucky, at much larger festivals.
“It's big enough where there's a nice, healthy crowd when there's music playing, but it's small enough where you can meet the same people every day, which then turns into a friendship.”
What could become a longstanding gem for the Capital Region, George sees this as a passion project that isn’t about the money but rather providing memories for all in attendance. From the vista views of the main stage to the far-reaching appeal of the music and activities, get far out for a weekend without having to go far at all.
Tickets are available now, starting at $156.69 ($75.67 for 13–17-year-olds, children 12 and under are free) for the entire weekend with a variety of upgrades available, and Saturday only tickets are available for $78.82 if you want to just get a taste of being Safe & SoundZ.
