Over the past few years the original members of Strangefolk have teamed up from time to time for headlining gigs and festival appearances. Yet fans were still awaiting the return of the band’s Garden Of Eden festivals which were a fixture of the festival scene for the end of the ’90s and beginning of the ’00s. Well, the wait is nearly over as Strangefolk will revive the festival at the Stateside Amphitheater at Jay Peak Resort in Jay, Vermont on Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 – nearly 20 years to the day since the first event.

The Vermont jam band will play a pair of sets each night after opening performances from New Hampshire jam brethren Percy Hill. A special late night set by Assembly of Dust will close out the festivities on Saturday. Strangefolk hosted the inaugural Garden Of Eden event in August 1996 on a small hill in Eden, Vermont. The 2000 event marked the last time the original lineup of the band held the festival. Twenty years later, with the four founding members of the band back together, the festival and its spirit lives on.

“The Garden of Eden represents the best of Strangefolk: a collective of like-minded people who appreciate each other as much as the music that brings us together. With two decades behind us, this year’s Eden is a return to form, a return to Strange Folk,” said lead guitarist Jon Trafton, who co-founded Strangefolk with University of Vermont classmate Reid Genauer in 1991. Erik Glockler (bass, vocals) and Luke Smith (drums) round out the original and current four-piece Strangefolk lineup.

“Vermont is a special place. It’s hard to describe exactly what it is that makes it so, but there is a charm, an ideal, and a sense of place in the Green Mountains that informs Strangefolk. The Eden event, the fans, and our music has always had a Vermont heart, and with the passing of time, it’s still pounding strong,” said Genauer.

In addition to the music, there will be plenty of daytime activities on offer for attendees, including the free “August West” event taking place near the concert venue on Saturday from noon to 6:00 p.m. featuring live music, craft vendors, food, kids games, tie-dyeing and free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. On-site hotel accommodations are available at Jay Peak Resort. Head here to purchase tickets and for more information.

Watch Strangefolk perform “Poland” at the ’99 Garden Of Eden: