Grand Point North is an annual two-day music festival founded by

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are an American rock band from Vermont, formed in 2002 in Waitsfield by drummer Matt Burr, guitarist Scott Tournet, and singer Grace Potter. They began their career as an indie band, self-producing their albums an ...

, produced by

Grace Potter Grace Evelyn Potter (born June 20, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who formed Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in 2002. Potter released her debut solo record ''Original Soul'' on 2004 via Grace Potter Music. Potter and her b ...

and Higher Ground Presents, and held at Waterfront Park in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

. The last festival took place in 2019. The festival was first held in 2011 and typically takes place over a weekend in mid-September. The performers alternate on two side-by-side stages, allowing for continuous performances with no overlap. Potter performs both nights, usually as the headliner, and the festival has attracted national artists such as The Avett Brothers,

Gov't Mule Gov't Mule (pronounced "Government Mule") is an American Southern rock jam band, formed in 1994 as a side project of the Allman Brothers Band by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Fans often refer to Gov't Mule simply as ''Mule''. ...

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Troy Andrews (born January 2, 1986), also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is an American musician, producer, actor and philanthropist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, ...

Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive is a multi-genre band that was formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. The band's founding members are Rachael Price, Mike "McDuck" Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Keyboardist Akie Bermiss j ...

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, Old Crow Medicine Show, Guster, Trey Anastasio Band,

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

, and

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the N ...

. There is an emphasis on local acts from Vermont, especially the Burlington area. Since 2013, the festival has partnered with '' Seven Days'' to give fans a chance to choose a Vermont musician or band to perform at the festival. The festival features Grand Point Local, a celebration of local Vermont restaurants and food products organized by the Skinny Pancake, and Grand Point Weird, an art installation curated by Grace's sister Charlotte. An official afterparty is often held at a nearby venue after one or both nights; these late-night shows can involve performers from the main festival lineup. The 2020 and 2021 festivals were both cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. In June 2022, Higher Ground co-founder Alex Crothers stated the festival would not be returning that year, and the possibility of a return in future years is uncertain.

Lineups and schedule

2011

The inaugural festival was held in August. Beginning the following year, it would be held in September. Kenny Chesney made a surprise appearance and performed with the Nocturnals.

2012

The lineup for 2012 was announced on May 1. That year's festival was held on Friday and Saturday; every other year it would be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

keyboardist Page McConnell joined the Nocturnals on Saturday night for a guest appearance.

2013

The lineup for 2013 was announced on May 14. Kenny Chesney joined the Nocturnals on Saturday night for a surprise guest appearance.

2014

The lineup for 2014 was announced on April 22.

2015

The lineup for 2015 was announced on April 29. Potter released her solo album ''Midnight'' in August and was billed solo for the first time, although her band included Nocturnals members Benny Yurco and Matt Burr. Kenny Chesney again made a surprise appearance on Sunday night.

2016

The lineup for 2016 was announced on April 14.

Basia Bulat Barbara Josephine Bulat (born April 13, 1984), known as Basia Bulat (), is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. She is known for performing with an autoharp. Early life and education Bulat grew up in Etobicoke, Ontario where her mother was a mu ...

was originally scheduled to perform on Sunday but had to cancel the night before; she was replaced by River Whyless, who had performed at the official after party on Saturday. This festival featured free yoga classes for the first time.

2017

The lineup for 2017 was announced on April 26. The Trey Anastasio Band, performing in Burlington for the first time since 2011, was the headliner on Sunday night. This was the first (and to date only) time that the headliner at Grand Point North was not Grace Potter or her former band, the Nocturnals. Anastasio's set featured many guest appearances by former members of his band and

2018

The lineup for 2018 was announced on May 23, with

and

Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influe ...

being announced later, on June 25.

Greg Holden Greg Holden (born 28 February 1983) is a Scottish singer-songwriter based in the United States. He is best known for his hit charity single "The Lost Boy" and for co-writing "Home", the 2012 debut single for ''American Idol''-winner Phillip Phil ...

was originally announced, but was not on the final schedule. Ariel Zevon,

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Tho ...

's daughter and Jackson Browne's goddaughter, performed with Browne during his set. Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced Potter on Saturday, and Kenny Chesney made another guest appearance to perform with Potter.

2019

The lineup for 2019 was announced on June 13. On July 15,

was announced, along with a special set from Potter and Warren Haynes.

Notes

References

External links

{{Commons category, Grand Point North
Official website
Music festivals in Vermont Music of Vermont