By Andy Foltz
NKyTribune reporter
May 29 and 30 are going to be a good time in Fort Mitchell.
Those two days are when the Diocesan Catholic Children’s Home will put on their Music Fest, rain or shine, at their facilities on Orphanage Road. The cost is $5 per person, which covers great local music as well as admission to the craft beer garden and the bourbon barn.
The musical lineup is headlined by such acts as The Menus, the Young Heirlooms, the Turkeys, Honey & Houston, and more. All proceeds raised go to benefit the victims of child abuse and neglect.
“This is the third year calling it a music festival. Formerly, it was a picnic, then became more of a traditional church-type festival,” said John Carney, the development coordinator at DCCH.
“We’ve changed it to give people something new to go to. This is the first year we won’t have carnival rides, and that sort of thing.”
“It is family-friendly in that the bands aren’t people you wouldn’t want your kids to hear, but there won’t be activities specifically for them,” he added.
There will be two stages, both outdoors, one of which is dedicated to acoustic performances both nights. Jamison Road, The Mitchells, and Carter New Band will be returning acts, acts like WolfCryer and Queen City Silver Stars will be performing for the first time.
“We want to make it a little more attractive than in the past,” Carney said. “We have a lot of different types of music on both stages.”
“We’re hoping to grow the event. I’m very interested to see how it turns out,” he added. “The feedback so far is that people are excited.”
They also have a craft beer garden which will feature brews from Mad Tree, Ei8htball, and Rhinegeist breweries, as well as a Budweiser truck. The bourbon barn will have a wide array of Jim Beam products, available as mixed drinks as well as straight bourbons.
Food vendors will also be hand, including: Cuban Pete Sandwiches, Buona Vita serving Italian sandwiches, Salvadore’s Pizzeria, Streetpops popsicles, and more.
“We want this to be a taste of Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area,” said Carney.
“We want to feature all the things people want to taste and enjoy.”
With proceeds going to support the 40-bed DCCH facility, it is important to get a good turnout. The DCCH has been at or near 100% bed capacity for the past several years, said Carney, with kids averaging stays between six months to one year.
“We try to keep it home like, but we really want to get kids into an environment of more one-on-one care,” he said.
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