5 Questions with Happy Productions on Truckerfest happening Oct 13-14

Ready for a music fest road trip that’s not too far away? Check out Truckerfest happening in Princeton, MN on October 13-14. The lineup is great, and we’ve got all of the info you need below from Shawn Sullivan at Happy Productions.

For the few folks who are new to Happy Productions, please tell us about The Happy Trucker.

Happyproductions.live is a 24/7 online radio station designed for people that love and support music. Local, regional, and independent music is a regular part of our everyday programming. The Happy Trucker Show is a radio program that started out on terrestrial radio before internet radio was a thing. The format is simple, Boot Stompin and Swingin’ Songs That Don’t Suck.

Country, Bluegrass, Bluegrass Related, Old Time, Western Swing, Roots of American Music, Rockabilly

The lineup is great. How do you recruit and selection the final lineup?

It’s an equation based on personal and professional relationships, listener favorites, and expected ticket sales. A lot of the artists in the line-up have either been live in the studio with us or played our venue or events.

I won’t ask for favorites, but can you describe a few of the acts just to give folks a flavor of the weekend?

Friday leans Americana and kicks off with MoeDell’s new Bluegrass project and winds through various levels of country with Joe Stamm Band and Minnesota’s Outlaw favorites White Iron Band. The evening is intertwined with the high energy harmonies of Dellwood and Maygen and the Birdwatcher. To have Corb Lund as part of this year’s line-up is certainly a dream come true! The amount of horns in Saturday’s line-up is going to bring an inspiring level of energy and will compliment the rootsier side of our lively Americana artists. The funk soul of Mae Simpson following rockin’ blues from Joyann Parker and then Alexander Craig’s (Crankshaft) 6 piece swamp blues before Grand Ole Oprey Star Sunny Sweeney brings it all full circle.

How about logistics? Can we get food at the show? Beer? Camp out? Nearby hotels?

The infrastructure of Mille Lacs County Fairgrounds in Princeton makes for the perfect location for The Truckerfest Music Festival. The bandshell and various outbuildings mixed with acres of manicured green space and amenities allows us to offer a very comfortable festival experience. At Truckerfest we don’t call it camping we call it “overnight parking”, campers and tents are welcome. We partner with the regional brewing company Lupulin Brewing Co., Tattersall Distilling, Isanti Spirits, and Stilly to bring the highest quality and best variety of adult beverages. There will be food trucks on-site all weekend and you can check the local Chamber page for additional lodging options.

It’s our goal to keep this music festival affordable for everyone and still compensate the artists fairly. The price of a weekend pass to Truckerfest is only $99.99 (plus fees) and an overnight parking pass is only $45(per vehicle)! For a quality line-up of this level that’s unheard of in today’s festival rates and we’re proud of it.

How can people get more involved with Happy Productions? (How can artists get on your radar? Can folks listen online and donate?)

The biggest thing is if you love music, tune in to http://happyproductions.live/ . If you like what you hear, tell your friends. Explore our website and learn about our mission to support the arts through creative programming and live music events. If you have a few bucks to spare hit the donate button or if you need goods and services check out the businesses that are supporting us. It costs zero dollars to find and follow us on the socials. Music submissions can be made by emailing info@happyproductions.live

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