Vermont Reggae Fest "Pull Out" Poster
Paul Doyle does all the work and we take all the credit for this two page tribute to the Vermont Reggae Fest. We all love the Reggae Fest and decided it might be fun to chart the progress of the Fest over the years. Pin this up and daydream about July 18, 1998 in Hardwick. We'll see you there.
1986
A small group of reggae enthusiasts put on a free concert in Burlington's Battery Park. Surprisingly, over 1500 people attended and the Vermont Reggae Festival was born.
Artists:
Jah Cutta & The Determination Band
Lambsbread
Afrikan Roots
Small Conquerer Hi-Fi
Natty Pa
Jah Roy
Winston Reed
Cleon Douglas
The Styles
Oblique Wave
Channel 2 Dub Band
1987
The Festival was held in Burlington's Oakledge Park and the legend, as well as the audience, began to grow.
Artists:
White Lion
Sundog
High Society
Oblique Wave
Pounding System
Lambsbread
Jah Cutta
Afrikan Roots
One People
The Meditations
1988
Artists:
Sundog
Commodity Fetish
High Society
Jah Roy's Symphonic Hi Power
Bop Harvey
Rebel Souls
Yemesgane
Winston Grennen
Lambsread
Ini Kamoze
1989
In 1989, the Festival moved to North Beach, where it remained until 1991. During these years, Burlington was inundated with reggae fans from all over America, and eventually the festival outgrew Vermont's largest city.
Artists:
The Effect
Channel 2 Dub Band
Opaline Steel Band
Sundog
One People
Lambsbread
The Killer Bees
Bop Harvey
The Mighty Diamonds
Patel Banton and
The Studio Two Crew
1990
North Beach, Burlington
Artists:
D'Moja
Pounding System
Mighty Charge
Burning Brass
Ras Midas & the Bridge
Steel Pulse
Lambsbread
Jus Cee
1991
North Beach, Burlington
Artists:
Itals
Brigadier Jerry
Sister Carol
D'Moja
I-Vibes
Bop Harvey
Identity
Jus Cee
1992
In 1992 the Festival left Burlington for Johnson, Vermont, amidst the beauty of the Lamoille River Valley, where it would stay through 1994. The Festival had matured into a one weekend city in and of itself, filled with thousands of citizens of "Zion".
Artists:
Mighty Charge
Lambsread
Kulture Shock
Jus Cee
Macka B
Mad Professor
Sandra Cross
Sister Audrey
Sugar Minott
D'Moja
1993
Johnson, Vermont, August 14, 1993
Approximate Attendance: 10,000.
Artists:
The Meditations
Rockers Intl. featuring 6 DJ's
Messenjah
Awareness Arts Ensemble
Bigga
Chatty's Revenge
Mighty Charge
Panashe
1994
Johnson, Vermont, Date: July 16, 1994. Approximate Attendance: 12,000.
Artists:
Culture and Dub Mystic
Pato Banton
Majek Fashek
Awareness Arts Ensemble
Chatty's Revenge
Jus Cee
Loose Caboose
One Tribe
New Nile Orchestra
1995
The 1995 (July 22nd) Festival moved to Hardwick, Vermont and was the largest and most successful yet. A record number of brothers & sisters joined together to celebrate in the heart of the beautiful Green Mountains.
Approximate Attendance: 14,000
Artists:
Lucky Dube
Meditations
Sister Carol
The Ark Band
Inka Inka
Dub Station
Lambsbread
Channel Two Dub Band
1996
Hurricane Bertha followed the 1996 (July 12th) festival to the Addison County Field Days site in New Haven, but loyal fans braved the wind and rain for 12 hours of glorious Reggae music.
Approximate Attendance: 9.6000.
Artists:
Burning Spear
Israel Vibration & Roots Radics
Wendy Shaw & the Fully Fullwood Band
Andrew Bees
Cleon
Black Rebels
Solid Earth Band
1997
Stormy weather hit again in 1997 (July 19th), with cold temperatures and rain, as the festival moved back to Hardwick, but the conscious lyrics and steady heartbeat kept everyone warm inside. Approximate Attendance: 11,000 (cold & rain)
Artists:
Macka B
The Mad Professor
Sister Audrey
The Robotics Band
Nasio Fontaine
Edie Fitzroy
Natty Remo
Masawa
Cleon Douglas
Errol Blackwood & Injah
Princess Sharifa
John Brown's Body
1998
Vermont Reggae Festival will be held on July 18th, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the 90 acre Shepard Farm, in Hardwick, Vemont.
Artists:
Burning Spear
Anthony B
J.C. Lodge
Dub Nation
Root Awakening
The Mondators
Motel Brown
and more . . .