“The festival scene is really oversaturated at this point,” Walther said. “Our fans have been following us for 20 years and it was a great run. But we feel like that time has come and gone. Folks have grown up, gotten married, had kids, and can’t exactly get away and camp all weekend. We want to make an event that’s as open to everyone as possible .”

Thus, Merryland Music Fest was born. The two-day concert, taking place July 9 and 10 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, is the newest incarnation of All Good with live music, craft vendors, and local food and drinks. The festival’s headliners include Grace Potter, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, The String Cheese Incident, Stephen Marley, Lotus, Langhorne Slim, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, and Yonder Mountain String Band.

“Merryland opens up the opportunity to all walks of life,” Walther said. “Because of its location, it’s a much easier commute. Families are interested in going, and same with people in their 20s. Beyond that, having it in a pavilion setting with Merriweather’s connections has allowed us to expand the types of acts we’re getting.”

Walther explained that, before every festival he plans, he comes up with a dream “top 10 list” of artists, and usually he is lucky to just get one. This time around, he was able to get several. On top of that, he is excited to showcase local talent like Baltimore-based bands Cris Jacobs, ELM, and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.

“What my company has done is work with bands on the club level and then give them a spotlight on the festival level,” Walther said. “Watching that whole growth pattern is the most exciting part.”

For a band like ELM, whose members have grown up admiring the headliners playing Merryland, this festival is a game-changer.

“It’s definitely a huge honor for us to even be considered on this lineup,” said ELM keyboardist and vocalist Jon Brady. “It’s only 17 bands, so being on there with nationally touring acts will help us get exposure and network.”

Additionally, Merryland will feature local craft vendors and tables for nonprofits throughout the festival. Flying Dog Brewery is producing an exclusive beer for the weekend—the Merryland ISA (India-style Session Ale).

“People come up to me all the time and tell me about an experience at an All Good festival that changed their life,” Walther said. “This will have that same community spirit—a chance to forget about all of the troubles in the world and be present with best friends, strangers, and music.”

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“We didn’t want to bring the festival back unless we had an absolutely perfect spot,” says festival co-founder and president Tim Walther. “Berry Hill Farm’s lush, rolling foothills and naturally formed concert bowl make it a fantastic site and All Good’s best venue yet.”

The mostly jam band festival has expanded its genre repertoire in recent years. This year’s installment is no different with headliners Cake, known for its monotone vocals and trumpet-heavy alternative rock; Primus, a funk-metal band with tons of Frank Zappa influence; and the groovy D.C.-based DJ duo of Thievery Corporation.

The rest of the lineup includes more of the usual suspects like moe., Lotus, STS9, John Butler Trio, Greensky Bluegrass, Dark Star Orchestra, Keller Williams, and Yonder Mountain String Band. All Good is also featuring a ton of Baltimore-based bands, no doubt because of its close proximity to the city, including The Bridge, ELM, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Second Self.

Many of the local-market bands will be playing on the Believe in Music stage, which is named after the Living Classrooms Foundation program that provides music education to kids in first through eighth grade. Each band playing the stage is donating a sizable portion of their pay to the Baltimore-based nonprofit, an amount that will also be matched All Good organizers.

“People just assume that bands are full of rock stars,” says Kenny Liner, a member of the Bridge and founder of Believe in Music. “But these are extremely hard-working musicians, so for them to give us that donation, it’s a huge deal.”

Additionally, Frederick-based Flying Dog Brewery will be creating a signature beer for the festival, All Good Ale, a session IPA with notes of passion fruit and crisp hops. And, if staying the entire weekend sounds overwhelming (we don’t blame you), All Good is offering Saturday-only tickets, which are discounted until midnight Wednesday night.

“This is so awesome for the residents of Baltimore to have a festival of this size so close,” Liner says. “For years, All Good was four to eight hours away. So to bring it back home and have all these local bands play, it seems only natural.”

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