AMESBURY — Cider Hill Farm’s third annual Farm and Field Festival is scheduled for Saturday, with a number of young musicians being given the chance to perform for hundreds of attendees.
The festival will feature bands composed of students at Zach Field Drums and Music, who will jam out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm.
Cider Hill provides the space for the festival for free and offers free admission, only asking attendees to consider donating to the ZFDM Foundation, Zach Field’s nonprofit whose aim is to make music accessible to all kids in the community.
The idea for the festival came about after teenage Cider Hill Farm employee Emmy Omohundro approached Valerie Rosenberg, Cider Hill’s program director, with a concept for a unique event.
Omohundro told Rosenberg that she was in a band made up of students at Zach Field Drums and Music who would love to perform at the farm, but did not have enough material for the typical three-hour sets played at Cider Hill.
So, Omohundro suggested that the farm hold an event with a number of other bands made up of students at Zach Field Drums and Music who, together, could fill the three-hour time slot.
Eventually, Rosenberg connected with Fields, and they decided to make Omohundro’s idea a reality. Now, the third annual Farm and Field Festival is a little less than a week away, with 12 musical acts consisting of elementary school, middle school and high school students as well as an adult band set to perform.
Rosenberg said it is impactful to see the students jamming out at the farm and performing for their families, community members and more.
“It’s pretty awesome to see little kids playing drums, and older kids really showcasing all of their instrumental and vocal talents, and it’s actually very goosebump worthy. We love it, it’s one of our favorite days,” she said.
Zach Field, owner of Zach Field Drums and Music and president of the ZFDM foundation, said his students look forward to the event for months, and practice for it frequently.
“They absolutely love it. They rehearse all year long, weekly rehearsals. For some of them, this is the end of their session for the year. Some of them are also graduating from high school, so this is their last show with our student bands. So, it’s pretty bittersweet, it’s a great ending,” he said.
Rosenberg also said Cider Hill enjoys hosting the festival year after year, which typically brings in about 500 attendees.
“We’re just continuing the idea of community and kindness, and we’re not here to make money for that event. We have the space, we have the infrastructure, we have the team to support it, and if we could do this all day every day, we would do that,” she said.
During the event, which will also include a music-themed obstacle course, the farm’s cider bar and food truck will be open, with free tastings available and more.
Those interested in RSVPing for the event or making a donation to the ZFDM Music Foundation can visit Cider Hill’s website: https://www.ciderhill.com/events/farm-field-festival-featuring-zach-field-drums-music