Annual music festival features original local artists

The annual Tippapalooza Music Festival will return to downtown Tipp City on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Now in its 13th year, the popular festival will feature performances by local artists the New Old Fashioned, Colin Richards and Spare Change, Freya’s Felines, and The Tyler Cochran Trio, as well as food trucks and beer, wine, and cocktails from Chaffee’s Brewhouse.

“We’re really trying to bring some attention to local bands and artists who write and record their own music,” Tippapalooza organizer Bill Wendel said. “Nothing against cover bands; there are a lot of talented people in cover bands, but our focus is on original music. We want to help get the word out about bands like that in the area.”

Festival doors open at 5 p.m., and music will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 pre-sale or $15 the day of the show. Tickets and more information are available online at www.tippapalooza.com.

A family-friendly event, Tippapalooza allows attendees to bring lawn chairs and encourages those attending to visit and support Tipp City’s downtown businesses.

“We encourage people to come out,” Wendel said. “It’s a family-friendly event. People should bring their own lawn chairs and enjoy the evening.”

The festival’s lineup features a diverse group of original artists, ranging from folk-inspired rock to blues and Americana.

“Colin Richards, I would describe as influenced by Southern California 70s rock, like Crosby Stills Nash and Young and that kind of music,” Wendel said. “Freya’s Felines are basically just straight-up melodic rock and roll; they describe themselves as earthy cat-rock. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I like the sound of it.”

“The Tyler Cochran Trio are very much a blues-rock band, he said. “The New Old Fashioned, they’re Americana, kind of like the Eagles or Tom Petty.”

“I pretty much spend the whole year going to different local venues and scouting bands, looking for bands that I like and also that I think folks in Tipp City would like,” Wendel said. “I scout out music venues in the Dayton area; down in the Oregon District, the Yellow Cab Tavern, Hidden Gem down in Centerville, Mother Stewarts out in Springfield, and I look for bands I think will fit in well with what we’re trying to do.”

Tippapalooza was founded in 2012 as a way to promote local music and support local non-profits. This year’s beneficiary is DREAM Pet Rescue.

“DREAM Pets is a pet rescue facility,” Wendel said. “It’s an all-volunteer run organization that helps to find foster homes and permanent homes for abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs.”

This year’s festival will feature a wide variety of food trucks, including Lumpia Queen, Sip N Smash, El Diablo, and Sweet P’s Ice Pops. Beer, wine, and cocktails will be provided by Chaffee’s Brewhouse.

“We’ve partnered with Chaffee’s,” Wendel said. “This year in addition to having beer, they will also have wine and cocktails available. They’ll feature Warped Wing Beers, and the Trotwood Trailer will be at the event.”

“It’s an old 1950s-style camper trailer that’s been converted into a portable bar,” he said. “We’ve had that for a couple of years in the past, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

“We encourage people to come out,” Wendel said. “It’s a family-friendly event. People should bring their lawn chairs, and enjoy the evening.”

Sponsors for the 2024 Tippapalooza Music Festival include Chaffee’s Brewhouse, Mauk Cabinets, 91.3 WYSO, the Tipp City Chamber of Commerce, Up North Construction, Royal Crest Agency, Bishko Books and Mosquito Joe of Miami Valley.

“We’re always very appreciative of the organizations that can provide us support,” Wendel said. “It’s pretty expensive to put on an event like this, and the sponsors are very generous in helping to provide that money.”

“We think it’s very important as part of our support of the local artists that they get paid fairly for their performances and for their talent,” he said. “We really want to pay them for their performances, and in order to do that the money from the sponsors really helps.”

The 2024 Tippapalooza Lineup:

• New Old Fashioned

• Freya’s Felines

• Tyler Cochran Trio

• Colin Richards and Spare Change

Tippapalooza was founded to promote local music to support local non-profits. This year’s beneficiary is DREAM Pet Rescue. This nonprofit collaborates with a network of volunteers and community partners to save and improve the lives of homeless and abandoned pets who reside in local shelters; placing them into DREAM's foster program for rehabilitation in preparation for their adoption into a forever home. Visit Dream Pet Rescue for more information https://www.dream4pets.org/

A music festival like Tippapalooza cannot operate without the generous support of local businesses. This year, Tippapalooza is supported by eight local organizations who have lent their support to make the festival a reality.

2024 Tippapalooza Sponsors:

●     Chaffee’s Brewhouse: Gold Sponsor

●     Mauk Cabinets: Gold Sponsor

●     91.3 WYSO: Gold Sponsor

●     Tipp City Chamber of Commerce: Silver Sponsor

●     Up North Construction: Bronze Sponsor

●     Royal Crest Agency: Bronze Sponsor

●     Bishko Books: Bronze Sponsor

●     Mosquito Joe of Miami Valley: Bronze Sponsor

Festival-goers can expect a diverse lineup of local food trucks and beer vending by Chaffee’s Brewhouse. Scheduled food trucks during the festival include, The Lumpia Queen, Sip N Smash, El Diablo, and Sweet P’s Ice Pops. The family-friendly festival allows attendees to bring lawn chairs and encourages those attending to visit and support Tipp City’s downtown businesses. The 2024 Tippapalooza Music Festival is Saturday, August 31 in downtown Tipp City, Ohio. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit tippapalooza.com.