Last weekend marked the fifth annual Frendly Gathering, southern Vermont’s largest grassroots musical festival. Located in Windham, VT, the three-day event was created by professional snowboarders Danny Davis and Jack Mitrani, along with a group of supportive friends. It all began after both Davis and their close friend Kevin Pearce suffered injuries while practicing for the 2010 US Olympics, hindering their dreams of going for the gold.

To ease the tension and get everyone together they organized a camping trip that would later be dubbed ‘Frendly Gathering’, since there is no ‘I’ In Frends. The event has since grown to accommodate over 4,000 friendly faces. Located at Timber Ridge Skiing Resort, the festival not only focuses on great music, but community connection and cultivating friendships. There’s even a jam tent, open to experienced and aspiring musicians alike to play amongst new friends.

Frendly consists of one large main stage, with a number of smaller stages such as the Wood Stage, the Burton-sponsored Tee Pee, and the DJ Nest. Two small ponds are located on the property open to attendants to take a dip and even catch and act or two.

The festival opened Thursday, only to those who bought an additional early bird pass. Music started late in the afternoon with Devesh Dou Band and closing out with Wyoming’s Canyon Collected.

On Friday morning, the main event began, with Quiet Lion bringing some local talent to the surface before launching into the diverse mix to tunes for the day. Sleepy Man played the Wood Stage shortly afterwards. The three-piece band consists of three young men ages 12 to 18, and they’ve already released three successful albums.

Next on the Frendly main stage was Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band. The mix of soul rock and blues with Kat’s sweet vocals provided perfect mid afternoon vibes. Check out her Destiny’s Child cover below:

The Brooklyn based Moon Hooch play a few sets over the course of the weekend, bringing an interesting blend of jam band percussion and brass with them. This dynamic trio continues to grow, in both popularity and style.

Valerie June was one of the first big acts to play the festival. Hailing from Memphis, the acoustic singer-songwriter mixes country, folk and blues into her work. Her last album, Pushin’ Against a Stone, featured several songs co-written by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Mac DeMarco played his first set ever in VT, energizing the crowd with his fusion of surfer and psychedelic rock riffs. At 25, the Canadian born musician’s comedic stage presence has helped him rise to popularity early in his career. His next mini-LP, Another One, is out August 7th.

Kung Fu is a New England festival favorite, hailing from CT, MA, and NY area. They were right at home amongst devoted fans preparing the crowd for Twiddle up next at the Wood Stage. The Wood Stage and the Pond Stage were both very small crowded areas, but that didn’t stop people from packing in and enjoying the evening. After a full day of bands, Disco Phantom closed out the night in the DJ Nest with silky house beats.

Twiddle returned to start up the day Saturday, complete with a marching band leading to a full set at the Pond. The VT locals have been with the festival from the very beginning. The Pond filled with happy hippies on floatation devices with the surrounding area packed shoulder to shoulder.

The Oregon native Nahko Bear, of Nahko and Medicine for the People, played a solo set before performing with the full band on the main stage later in the evening. Nahko continues to be a huge pull, headlining festivals across the country all summer. Their soulful music makes for a very captivating performance.

Brooklyn’s rising funk band, Turkuaz, filled the main stage soon after with the large group of talented multi-instrumentalists. Every element and instrument added to the unique sound of this band with every member dancing along with the crowd.

For a festival with so much to offer, and a higher purpose in mind, there’s no doubt it will only grow in years to come. Their commitment to taking an ecofriendly approach took form in multiple trash and recycling units, and a no water bottle for sale rule – offering canteens as an alternative. With every year brings vast improvements on making this festival a Frendly environment for everyone involved.

Check out the recap videos below:

-By Morgan Louchen