Music Festival Supports Sourland Mountains

The sounds of blues, jazz, zydeco and more come to Hillsborough Saturday, as performers take the stage during the Eighth Annual Sourlands Music Festival.

“It does promote our Sourland Mountain, which is really a gem,” Deb Fabricatore, event co-chairman, said. “It’s a nice variety of music. We try to feature local musicians when we can and we sometimes feature student musicians though we’re not.”

The Sourlands Planning Council hosts its Eighth Annual Sourlands Music Festival from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday, with bands hailing from the Sourland Mountain Area.

“We’ll have food, artists will be there, craftspeople will be there such as a woman who makes woolen goods out of alpaca wool,” Fabricatore said. “We’ll have local apiary people. There will be a silent auction. Most importantly, there will be some great music.”

The event will be held at the Hillsborough Country Club at 146 Wertsville Road. Proceeds will benefit the Sourlands Planning Council, a non-profit organization involved in environmental concerns in the Sourland Mountain area.

The festival began in 2003, to highlight the music of the area and area’s history and development, according to festival website. It’s since grown into a fundraiser for the planning council, and made its shift to Hillsborough in 2005.

It will be held on the country club’s polo field, which the club donates for the event.

“I think it’s a beautiful environment for it,” Fabricatore said. “The setting, the fact that it is in the Sourland Mountains. You can sit in the sunset and listen to great music.”

This year’s lineup includes the Mike Montrey Band, the Voodudes, Nasty Ned and Johnny Charles, Wiser Time and Sandy Zio.  

Tickets to the festival are $20 for adults and $5 for children under 13 if purchased through the festival’s online ticketing website.  Tickets will also be available at the door for the same prices, Fabricatore said.

 “It’s a very family-friendly event,” she said.