Celebrating community and emerging rock talent, the inaugural South Jersey R.A.D. Fest (Rock Ain’t Dead festival) is coming to Gloucester City’s Proprietors Park on Sunday, June 22.
The free event will be held from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and willl feature a beer garden, children’s activities along the Delaware River, food trucks, live music, and local vendors.
Although the event is scheduled to go on rain or shine, it will move indoors to Community Rocks Studio in case of extreme weather. Updates will be posted on the event’s Facebook page.
R.A.D. Fest is organized by the band Lackadaisical Lemon from Cherry Hill and the nonprofit Community Rocks Corp. from Haddon Heights. R.A.D. Fest showcases the work of teen and young adult talent from South Jersey’s music community.
“This has been my dream for a long time,” said George Callahan, the 14-year-old front for Lackadaisical Lemon, in an interview with South Jersey News. “After meeting so many amazing young bands in the local scene, I knew a festival like this would be the perfect way to bring everyone together and put their talent in the spotlight.”
“We want this to be more than just a concert,” said John Callahan, George’s father. “It’s about giving young people a place to be themselves, be creative, and be inspired by their peers. That’s what makes R.A.D. Fest special; we’re building community through music.”
Lakadaisical Lemon — recognized for its genre-blending mix of funk, progressive, reggae, and rock music — will headline the Main Stage along with youth bands such as Sunrise Cries, Wasted Potential, and The Big Trip & Friends. The Side Stage will have acoustic performers entertaining the audience during changeovers. Acts include the Voorhees-based teen duo Dissonance starring John Langan and Ava Prendergast, two students at Eastern Regional High School.