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Monday, June 15, 2015

Extra Officers Added To Monitor Water-Based Music Festival

BERLIN – An on-the-water music festival planned for Fourth of July weekend could bring as many as 10,000 people to the Isle of Wight Bay.

The Boaters Aid Music Festival, set for July 3-5, will bring acts like Jo Dee Messina, Heart by Heart and The Guess Who to a barge stage just off the Isle of Wight Nature Park, which is located off Route 90. The event’s website encourages attendees to come by boat to “tie one on and have a nauti cool time.”

Organizer Allen Barzak says he’s spent the past year and a half planning the event — which is to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital — to make sure it goes off smoothly.

“I’m not here to create problems,” he said.

Barzak originally wanted to set up a stage at the Isle of Wight Nature Park and have festival-goers pull their boats up to watch the show. When the state told him last year he couldn’t set up a stage on the land, he decided to put it on a barge.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I doubt the ticket-buying attendees will cause problems. It's the opportunity for "out of town troublemakers" to decide to "protest" there, that they need extra "peacekeepers".

Country music, alcohol and a good old fashioned American holiday celebration of our traditions, culture and patriotism.

Not the place to start flinging feces.

Anonymous said...

1: Where are all of these people going to park, if you have ever been to OC on the 4th it's gridlock all day long. Fact

2: Is this event promoter going to be held directly responsible for any ill doings? ie. litter in the bay, intoxicated individuals relieving themselfs in the water etc.

3: Has this event promoter obtained any approval from any authorities to have this show? ie. Liquor Board, Department of Natural Resources, Coast Guard, Health Department, Worcester County, Town of Ocean City etc.

4: I quesion the event promoter's math skills as I read an article in the Dispatch stating that he expected 10,000 people and 12,000 boats. Are boats going to attend without a operator? Or are his figures understated to try to curtail obtaining permits from the many regulatory authorities mentioned in point 3?

5: Who is this event promoter? What are his cradentials and how is he planning on getting a barge to fit under the Rt.50 bridge that can hold 10,000 people.

Anonymous said...

The barge is only for the band and stage, not for 10,000 spectators.

Anonymous said...

Currently the event promoter is playing face dispite the fact that he has been shot down by every State and local Government Agency and this event is Not! going to happen.