Great South Bay Music Festival, Long Island’s largest and longest-running festival, donated more than 350 four-day festival tickets free of charge to nine local veteran organizations over Independence Day weekend.
Great South Bay Music Festival Producer Jim Faith and his partner Larry Weinberg announced the Vets Rock-Thank You program as a way to thank military service members. This year’s Great South Bay Music Festival will feature 55 performers over four stages with classic, contemporary rock, jam, blues, jazz, Americana, reggae at the renovated Shorefront Park in Patchogue July 18-21.
“We are able to have concerts and music festivals like Great South Bay because of the sacrifices of those who have served and who are still serving,” Faith told reporters Wednesday during a press conference at Patchogue Village Hall. “We felt it would be the right thing to do to thank them for their service by inviting these many veterans from all over Long Island to join us for some great entertainment, food, and camaraderie in the land of the free, because of the brave!”
New York State Veterans Group of Stony Brook, Suffolk County Police Veterans Association, United Veterans Beacon House, American Legion, Veterans of the Foreign Wars, Suffolk County Department of Veteran Affairs, Paws of War, Active Duty, and Blue Star Families are among the benefactors of the ticket giveaways.
Throughout the first three days, festival attendees can expect to hear familiar tunes from three-time Grammy-nominee Joe Bonamassa, Buffalo Springfield legend Jim Messina, Streetlight Manifesto, Dark Star Orchestra, The Disco Biscuits, and many more. On Sunday, the festival will close out celebrations with YES’ “Epics and Classics” featuring John Anderson, Justin Hayward the “Voice of the Moody Blues,” Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, and more.
“When people show this type of support for our veterans it makes all the difference in the
world,” said Steven Castleton, an aid to the secretary of the U.S. Army. “Veterans who were in the country in the 1960s and 1970s and listened to Yes, The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull, will now have a chance to come and enjoy them performing in person in their backyard, it goes a long way towards welcoming them home.”
Guests of all ages can also enjoy a variety of events including adult beverage tents, an artisan and craft market, a food court with many diverse offerings, and even an educational KidZone.
“The Village of Patchogue is happy to do whatever it can to facilitate this great offer to the veterans,” said Patchogue Village Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Joseph Keyes. “It is a great day for Patchogue, it is a great day for the veterans and certainly Jim Faith and the Great South Bay Musical Festival.”
“These tickets are going to make a difference to these people to come and enjoy, socialize, and as mentioned reminisce for the Vietnam veterans,” said Marcelle Leis, the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency Director.
In addition, the Great South Bay Music Festival will continue its annual tradition of donating a percentage of ticket sales to the GSB-Stony Brook Cancer Center Fund to which the festival has donated more than $250,000 to date.
“This festival is very inclusive and it is all about people helping people,” said Faith. “This was a great way to incorporate our veterans and I did not know they would be so appreciative. We look forward to doing this every year now.”
For more information, ticket purchases, and the festival schedule, please visit greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com
