INSIDER GUIDE TO OGDEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Make the most of the 15th Ogden Music Festival with these tips from an OMF attendee, music enthusiast, and marketing director.
All photos courtesy of OFOAM. By Sam Crump Photo and Iron Pine Co.
EVENT GUIDE
I can’t in all honesty write a news article about an event that I do marketing for, yet it would be a shame if The Ogdenite publication did not cover the 15th anniversary of Ogden Music Festival. Hopefully this disclosure will suffice as I proceed to honestly “tell all” about this year’s festival from my insider view. Unless you hate amazing music, big community-love vibes, gorgeous mountain views, and what feels like summer camp for adults, read on!
Ogden Music Festival 2023
The 15th annual Ogden Music Festival, is June 2-4, at “Fort BDO” 600 N Depot Drive. It’s a three-day festival with performances by award-winning artists, camping on-site, workshops, jam camp, kids activities, art vendors, food trucks and more.
This year’s lineup includes Dan Tyminski Band, Thee Sacred Souls, Danielle Ponder, John Craigie, Della Mae, Miko Marks, Los Texmaniacs, Pixie & the Partygrass Boys, Chatham Rabbits, National Park Radio, Kate Macleod, The West Road, and Pompe ‘N Honey.
Ten local acts, ‘Tweeners,’ will play between the mainstage artists.
After a last-minute scramble to change locations due to flooding at Fort Buenaventura, OFOAM (Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music) is moving forward with a ribbon-cutting ceremony as previously planned, Friday at 4 p.m. at the festival gate, to mark their fifteen year milestone. Festival-goers can still expect all of the same activities they love: award-winning artists, on-site camping, workshops, late-night campground jams, art vendors, morning yoga, and dining from some of the best local food and beverage vendors.
Tickets
Single Day Tickets are $55 Friday and Saturday; $25 on Sunday. Weekend passes are $105. A STEAL. Have you seen ticket prices to other music festivals?! It’s too late to purchase camping, but get on it early for next year. It always sells out quick, especially RV sites.
Kids ages 16 and under get free admission to Ogden Music Festival!
Tickets can be purchased here or at the gate.
A little OFOAM history
Founded by Michelle Tanner in 2008, OFOAM has enjoyed great success as a locally-based, volunteer-run nonprofit organization. After the first Ogden Music Festival, Reba Nissen joined Tanner, and the two have worked tirelessly to bring the best bluegrass music festival to Northern Utah (so we don’t have to travel to Colorado).
This year’s festival is their most diverse lineup of new and established artists yet, embracing the best of American Roots Music: bluegrass, country, gospel, folk, Tex-Mex conjunto, and soul.
OFOAM loves kids and wants to inspire future generations of musicians. They offer the year-round WILL & WAY (Weber Instrument Lending Library for Weber Acoustic Youth) with free instrument loaning and free music lessons.
The Daily Schedule
Notes: We get John Craigie and Miko Marks for two days! And definitely catch both sets. Single day tickets for Sunday are only $25. Van Sessions, Ogden’s live audience music podcasters, will be there in the Tan Van on Saturday! Late night jams happen in the campground.
Also check out the workshop and jam camp schedules so you don’t miss anything. This can be tricky. Make an itinerary!
FRIDAY
5:30 John Craigie
Instantly loved John Craigie when I saw him for the first time at Red Butte Concert Series last summer opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter. I saw him again at the State Room in Salt Lake for his two sold out shows earlier this year. Listen to his live albums!
6:30 Talia Keys, tweener
I’ve been a fan of Talia Keys since I moved to Sugarhouse in 2011 and I’ve been in a frenzie ever since I found out she’s coming to Ogden Music Festival this year. Look her up on Facebook and YouTube. Watch her awesome videos. She should be a main stage act. She is a powerhouse.
7:00 Danielle Ponder
Danielle Ponder had distracted afternoon festival-goers captivated within seconds at Fort Desolation music festival last year. I was one of them. I later had the good fortune of seeing her again at the State Room in Salt Lake City and I’ve never seen that room so silent. I screamed when I found out she was coming to Ogden Music Festival. A storyteller and vocal marvel. I think she’s opened for Brandi Carlile. She’s blowin’ up so I’m happy we got her this year.
8:15 Columbia Jones, tweener
Never heard of this local artist and can’t wait!
8:45 Thee Sacred Souls
Feels like you’re going back in time with these retro superstars. Listen to “Will I See You Again?” You’ve probably heard it even if you’re unfamiliar. They’re selling out shows everywhere and it’ll be fun to see their soul songs performed live.
SATURDAY
11:30 Pompe ‘n Honey
I saw them perform on Van Sessions (check out Van Sessions on YouTube). Old-time swing, folk, and jazzy!
12:30 Krim Girl-Fiddlers, tweener
Young fiddler sisters!
1:00 The West Road
These two young brothers were tweeners last year and so good they’re back on the main stage!
2:00 Festival Kids’ Parade with WILL & WAY
2:30 Chatham Rabbits
Husband/wife duo new to me but when I listened to ”Chattanooga” I was sold.
3:30 WILL & WAY Students and Instructors
4:00 Miko Marks & The Resurrectors
A legend in the making. Genre-defying country, blues, southern rock and gospel. All the awards.
5:00 The Low Point, tweener
New to me, can’t wait to see them!
5:30 John Craigie
Listen to “I Am California.”
6:30 Red Luck, tweener
New to me, can’t wait to see them!
7:00 Della Mae
GRAMMY-nominated all-woman string band. Enough said!
8:15 Mel Soul, tweener
Ukelele singer/songwriter we love SLC to Ogden.
8:45 Dan Tyminski Band
”I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow.” You'll recognize Dan Tyminski from the Oh Brother Where Aren’t Thou? soundtrack! He was with Alison Krauss and the Union Station and so many others.
SUNDAY
12:00 Kate MacLeod
Legendary folk musician of the Wasatch. Award-winning fiddle player and singer/songwriter.
1:00 Old Ghost, tweener
A beautiful singer/songwriter from Ogden.
1:30 Miko Marks & The Resurrectors
Listen to “Feel Like Going Home.”
2:30 Lucky Find
Ogden-based Americana band I finally get to see.
3:00 National Park Radio
Beautiful, soaring indie-folk from the Ozark Mountains. New album released this week, “Canyons.” Their song “Mighty Mountains” plays on the OFOAM Instagram reel and has become the unofficial theme song of Ogden Music Festival 2023.
4:00 The Reel Folk, tweener
New to me and can’t wait to hear them!
4:30 Los Texmanics feat. La Marisoul
Grammy award-winning artists Eva “La Marisoul” Hernández, of LA-based band La Santa Cecilia, and San Antonio’s Tejano conjunto Los Texmaniacs will take the main stage together in support of their newly released joint album “Corazones and Canciones.” The album is a testament to the importance of Mexican-American music to the American Roots tradition. La Marisoul says the music is “just as American as it is Mexican and Tejano and Californiano, and it’s beautiful.” Each of the fifteen Mexican-American classics on the album were chosen for their emotional power and heart.
5:45 Mars Highway, tweener
New to me, can’t wait to hear him!
6:15 Pixie & The Partygrass Boys
The “gospel of whisky and chickens” hailing from Salt Lake City. The ultimate string party band. Listen to new album “The Chicken Coup Vol. 1” and all of their wild and silly songs about Utah.
Read all about these amazing artists, here!
Kids Zone
Arts & Crafts (tambourines this year!) and Instrument Petting Zoo all 3 days until 7 p.m. The kids’ parade is Saturday, at 2 pm!
Yoga
Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m., all levels
Read more information about these other activities here.
Local Food and Beverage Vendors
DaKine Grindz (Sunset, UT) Hawaiian-Filipino
El Changarro Loco (Ogden, UT) Mexican
Grounds for Coffee (Ogden, UT) Coffee
Lucky Slice Pizza (Ogden, UT) Pizza
Kombucha Creations/Sunnte (Ogden, UT) Kombucha
Miss Kitty's Outlaw BBQ (Salt Lake City, UT) BBQ
Roosters Brewing Co. (Ogden, UT) Beer
The Scally Wagon (Ogden, UT) Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sandwiches
Treasure Ice Land (Clinton, UT) Shaved Ice, Soft Serve
See a list of all the craft vendors here.
For more about Ogden Music Festival, follow their social media pages on FB and Instagram @OFOAM and IG @ogdenmusicfestival and FB @ogdenmusicfestivalofficial.
