Grace Potter’s coming back to Burlington’s Waterfront Park with her annual Grand Point North music festival on Sept. 15 and 16. This year’s festival will offer music on side-by-side stages with alternating performances; Grand Point Weird, a visual arts installation by Charlotte Potter (Grace’s sister); Grand Point Local, featuring local restaurants and food products; and the REVERB Eco Village, supporting several Vermont nonprofits.
The opening bands are hand-picked by Grace Potter and are always an amazing addition to the headline talent. Check it out:
Saturday, Sept. 15
Gates open at 3 p.m.
Grace Potter 8:45
Jackson Browne 7:35
Ani DiFranco 6:45
Mt Joy 5:55
Darlingside 5:10
Clever Girls 4:40
West End Blend 4:10
Miku Daza 3:40
Nina’s Brew 3:15
 
Sunday, Sept. 16
Gates open at 2 p.m.
Grace Potter 8
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats 6:35
The Magpie Salute 5:45
Caroline Rose 5
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds 4:15
Seth Yacavone Band 3:45
Harsh Armadillo 3:15
JUPTR 2:45
Julia Caesar 2:15
 
Are you a night owl?
Lagunitas Brewing Company will host the official Grand Point North Afterparty with Fever Dolls and a host of special guests at Higher Ground on Saturday, Sept. 15. Doors open for the free show at 11 p.m.
GRAND POINT WEIRD
Grand Point Weird, the art installation on the festival grounds founded by Grace’s sister Charlotte. Both of the Potter Sisters have recently become new mothers, which has changed their perception of the world. This year’s Grand Point Weird theme is “seeing through new eyes.” Much like how a kid might look at a patch of moss and imagine it to be a microscopic forest, the innocence and wonder that come with discovery is ever present on the Grand Point North grounds. Featuring interactive inflatable play-scapes developed by the artists’ collective Pneuhaus, giant sculptures expand and grow – swelling like a mother’s womb to become toy like. Scale changes and you are immersed in the soft architecture, suddenly small again like a child.
GRAND POINT LOCAL
Grand Point Local will showcase some of Vermont’s best purveyors including Ben & Jerry’s, Skinny Pancake, Pingala Café, Farmers & Foragers, Caja Madera, Bluebird Barbecue, Shaker Maple Farm, Carte Blanche (Burlington’s new international street food/yakitori cart), Artsriot, Bobber’s Seafood and Miso Hungry.
REVERB ECO VILLAGE
Grand Point North welcomes the return of the REVERB Eco Village. Uniting around the music we love, tackling the environmental and social issues we face, REVERB is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering millions of individuals to take action toward a better future for people and the planet. Since 2004, REVERB has worked with scores of artists (Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, P!nk, Harry Styles and many more) and millions of fans to take direct action for a better world at concerts and beyond. REVERB will be joined on-site by CarShare Vermont, Lake Champlain Land Trust and Vermont Community Garden Network.
 
Two-day festival tickets are available for $89 and single-day passes for $59 at highergroundmusic.com, by phone at (802) 652-0777 or in person at the Higher Ground Box Office, 1214 Williston Rd., S. Burlington. Children 12 and under are free. Festival is rain or shine. Lineup is subject to change. Check grandpointnorth.com or follow @grandpointnorth for up to date info.