The four-day festival will take place at the newly renovated Seaside Park in Bridgeport August 9-12. So far, the line-up includes Bob Weir & Ratdog, Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, Deep Banana Blackout, Assembly of Dust, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and of course master of ceremonies, Wavy Gravy. Additional artists will be announced as the festival takes shape, as will the artist line-up for each day.
Gathering of the Vibes began as a grass roots response to the death of Jerry Garcia as an attempt to keep some of the Grateful Dead spirit of community alive. The Gathering is more than just a music festival. It offers a chance for friends to catch up with one another, sample microbrews and browse arts and crafts.
Fans will also be able to continue taking advantage of something they've grown used to while the festival was being held at Red Hook and Indian Lookout Country Club - car-side camping will be allowed this year.
Seaside Park is one of the country's first major "rural" parks. Legendary showman P.T. Barnum, who campaigned vigorously for the project, donated the space for the park to the city of Bridgeport in 1875. Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmstead, designers of New York's Central Park and Chicago's Washington Park, were commissioned to draw up plans for the park. By the time it was finished in 1920, the 370 acre park was hailed as a jewel among urban parks.
The last time the festival was held at Seaside Park was in 2000. Park maintenance and slow ticket sales reportedly caused the festival to be moved to New York for the last six years.
Early bird weekend passes, VIP weekend passes, kids VIP weekend passes and RV parking passes for the Gathering are currently on sale through the festival's web site, www.gatheringofthevibes.com. Car camping is included with all weekend passes.