Rail Rider Jamboree
Rail Rider Jamboree
Producer of Borderland Music Festival bringing new event to Holiday Valley
Mark your calendars for what is sure to be a fun-filled packed winter weekend in Ellicottville, Friday, March 18 through Sunday, March 20 when Holiday Valley plays host to the Rail Rider Jamboree Music Fest.
This is the first year for the outdoor winter music fest, in the hopes that it becomes an annual “music meets the mountains” festival with skiing, snowboarding competitions, vendors selling their wares like jewelry, t-shirts and much more, food trucks, yoga and of course a full weekend of music.
An idea that has been in the forefront of Jennifer Brazill’s mind for a couple years has finally come to fruition. Brazill, who is producing the festival, owns Ginger Root Productions and Borderland Festival. She has had tremendous success with these festivals on the west coast and ski resorts in Colorado on a much larger scale, but has always wanted to have one in Ellicottville, which incidentally is pretty much in her backyard as she grew up in East Aurora.
I got a chance to chat with Brazill recently about the festival, some of the bands/artists on the ticket, and her passion for bringing music and the outdoors together for fans.
Mostly centered on the west coast, the producer came back home to East Aurora and her parents’ home when the pandemic hit. Asking her if the Jamboree Music Fest was already planned and had to be put on hold, she replied, “It was in the idea stages when Covid hit, so it wasn’t scheduled to cancel, but it put everything on hold of course.”
“The ski niche has always been part of my brand,” Brazill told me. “I love working with ski resorts to create a niche that’s a little bit on the shoulder of their season, so as not to interfere with their really big winter weekends, but still have enough winter so there’s snow and people can get up on the mountain,” she added.
The weekend festivities start Friday evening on the 18th with a Rail Jam in the Rail Fun Park at the base of Mardi Gras lift at Holiday Valley. The Jamboree part of the festival will be Saturday the 19th with five acts performing on two stages from 2:00-10:30pm, and Sunday the 20th will end the festival with Bluegrass and Bloody Marys at the Cabana Bar at Holiday Valley.
Local, regional and national bands/acts will perform Saturday at the Jamboree, including A Girl Named Genny from Rochester, Drift Wood from Binghamton, a New Orleans style Brass Band from Buffalo, and headliners Keller Williams and Dark Star Orchestra.
“It’s a great fit to have these two headliners on the same bill,” stated Brazill. “Keller Williams I usually have as a full band, but he’s coming solo to this event. He brings a looping machine with him and he’s so super creative and quirky … a really good guy.”
“Dark Star Orchestra is Grateful Dead oriented, and I’m a big Grateful Dead fan and I just love them. They’ve been around a long time and have a great draw,” said Brazill, adding, “They sell out in Buffalo when they play there, so I know they’ll be a big hit.”
Come out and embrace our winter season and celebrate getting back to festivals, music, shopping, food and more. All with the backdrop of one of the most beautiful villages in western New York! You don’t want to miss this! For more info and to purchase tickets, head over to holidayvalley.com or railriderjam.com.
Teaser: ellicottvilleNOW is excited to interview the festivals headliners! Keep tabs in upcoming issues for one-on-one’s with Keller Williams and Dark Star Orchestra!