Barath will host his first-ever music festival on Breezy Acres Farms in Cadiz, Ohio, showcasing a variey of genres of music during the evening, with many trails open for minibike, go-kart and small side-by-side riding during the day. Tracks and trails are spread throughout the 150 acres for daytime riding, and a stage is ready for diverse performers.
This summer is the first in 40 years that Jamboree In The Hills will not be a destination for country music fans in the Ohio Valley. Jamboree In The Hills is on hiatus for 2019.
“We’ve been in the food truck business for about eight years now and always thought it would be really nice to have our own festival. The market kind of presented itself with a better opportunity with Live Nation not being in the area this year, so we figured we would go ahead and launch it,” Barath explains.
Dean and Carrie Barath work together to provide the valley with delicious food from their Ideal Provisions food truck, and now they are ready to give festivals a try by leasing Breezy Acres Farm in Ohio.
“It started out as just a little minibike ride idea, and now it is really taking off,” Dean said.
Barath has a lot of sponsorships and donations for his festival, including fireworks from the American Fireworks Company. Water bottle purchases will benefit United Way, which is working with Goodman Realty to provide 8,000 bottles of water for sale. “We’re charging a dollar for a bottle, and every 35 cents will go to the United Way,” he said.
It is hard to sell the idea of a brand-new music festival when no one has been there before. A stage has been built, and the trails are ready, but until people see it for themselves and get the word out, it’s unclear how many people will attend this year.
Barath is hoping to appeal to Jamboree In The Hills fans as well as Powerline Park enthusiasts. And part of that goal is to provide a little something for everyone. Hip-hop will be offered Friday night; Saturday night will feature rock and roll; and Sunday will close out with the blues, with local blues favorite Adrian Niles as the headliner.
Other performers include Bobby Thompson and the Groove; Corey Vance; Motorbilly; Shannon Canterbury; and the Sarah Hays Band.
Lead guitarist Bob Mizell of the Sarah Hays Band said, “We are very excited to be on the maiden voyage of the Music on the Breeze festival. It’s so great to see the Baraths bringing new family-oriented events to the valley. We feel our band is a great fit for the blues and roots portion of the Sunday night music lineup. This festival really does have something for everyone.”
“R.J. Gaudio — Troubadour,” who is lined up to play in the entertainment tent during Sunday lunch hours, is also excited to be a part of something new in the valley.
“I’m excited about performing at Music on the Breeze in that it’s a new, up-and-coming, outdoor event, and I have never played in the Cadiz area. I appreciate Dean Barath’s entrepreneurial spirit and wish his endeavor the best of luck,” Bob Gaudio said.
You don’t have to worry about lining up a babysitter, either. Bringing the kids to Music in the Breeze is encouraged.
“During the day, we have a Kids’ Zone that is sponsored by Thomas Auto Center, and we’ll have a trail specifically for kids to ride. We’ll have free Big Wheels, scooters, bicycles — we have about two dozen power wheels. We will have a bunch of Legos donated by Dan Brown of the Toy and Plastic Brick Museum in Bellaire,” Barath said.
On Sunday, May 26, there will be an open auction for a minibike by Sam Matheny and Harvey Goodman Realty. The bike was donated by Jeff Durant and Chad Ryan, and Chirp’s Auto Body Repair and Myers Powder Coating put the finishing touches on the bike to get it ready to be auctioned. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Ohio Small Police Department Association.
A large sandbox will be on site, as well as radio-controlled cars for entertainment.
Other vendors will include a blacksmith with a coal forge who will be making small items for sale; face painting; a dart-throwing tournament; and races for minibikes and go-karts. A picnic area will have an entertainment tent, providing music while attendees dine.
Tickets are being sold on ticketor.com/minibikegokartshindig. The music tickets begin at $20. One-day riding tickets are $45, with weekend riding passes at $95. The price of a riding ticket includes entry into music entertainment for the evening as well.
Barath is offering primitive camping this year so you can stay all weekend. There are some limited RV sites with electricity available, but more on-site electricity is a goal for future festivals. Food will be available from three or four food trucks.
The $45 and $95 tickets include free parking and camping, but if you only want to camp one night, the price is $15 a night. “We don’t want people to go out and drive, so we don’t want to overprice them,” Barath explained. This event will be a BYOB in the campground, but attendees will not be permitted to bring alcohol into the venue site. “It’s like two different parties in one,” Dean explained. “A minibike and go-kart shindig on one side, and then there is the Music on the Breeze in the evening on the other side. It’s a really nice concept.”
Memorial Day weekend will not be the only time you can attend this new Music on the Breeze Festival. Barath is planning a second festival over Labor Day weekend, this time featuring other types of music, such as hair metal and polka.
“We want to try and keep it different so we can bring in different demographics. We’d like to hit every market so we can get the word out.” Barath is hoping the attendance for these different nights will help determine what is successful among the crowd and enable him to plan for future events. If a certain night of music is not heavily attended, then it probably won’t be on the festival lineup the next time.
It’s all about keeping the money local for Barath, and he is achieving that goal by providing local entertainment and using local businesses for food, sponsorships and donations. Giving the Ohio Valley a diverse lineup of local musicians with the added fun of minibike and go-kart riding during the day, the Music on the Breeze and Minibike and Go-kart Shindig is set to become the next big annual event.
• Kelly Strautmann lives out in the country of Cameron, W.Va., and proofreads in the city of Wheeling. She has a supportive and talented husband and two ridiculous daughters who keep her busy and full of love.