Although a long-running Athens-area music festival will take another name this year, the new identity has not quelled the interest of locals and long-distance attendees alike.
Formerly Hookah in the Hills, the new title Hoopla in the Hills is a result of the absence of the band Electric Hookah in the 2013 lineup.
The festival, which has run for 16 years, has gone in a new direction and is now focusing less on local bands and more so on bringing in more national and regional acts.
“There’s a wide variety of music,” said Curtis Manley, the CEO of Big Events Presents said. “It’s a very eclectic style where the music doesn’t stop from (Thursday) until Sunday … There’s something for the old farts and the young kids.”
The festival includes about 40 sets of music, including 33 acts, and will feature Keller Williams, EOTO and the Rumpke Mountain Boys.
Colleen Carman, a junior studying math education and French education, said she’s looking forward to some of the bands and excited about the festival’s change in direction.
“It’s really laid back,” Carman said. “Everyone has a smile on their face. It’s really close, so a lot of people want to go, and it’s not that expensive. There are a lot of young people that are really excited about the music.”
The lineup will also include a reunion of One Under, a band that includes 1990 Ohio University alumnus Johnny Polansky. This year’s festival will mark Polansky’s first time at Hoopla in the Hills.
“I’ve heard (it’s) is a very nice festival,” Polanski said. “It never stops being fun coming back to Athens and playing … I try to cram four years of memories into 10-12 hours.”
In hopes of accommodating a diverse crowd, unique features like a sober area and an Easter egg hunt for children will be included. Dogs will also be permitted for a $25 payment. There will also be a live painting section for artists and a variety of workshops.
“There are so many different types of things,” Manely said. “There’s a lot of attention to detail this year that we’re really excited about.”
If You Go
What: Hoopla in the Hills
When: Gates open 3 p.m. Thursday
Where: Poston Lake park
Admission: Advance: Thursday - Sunday: $65, Friday - Sunday: $50, Saturday - Sunday: $35. Day of: Thursday - Sunday: $80; Friday - Sunday: $65; Saturday - Sunday $40. Free parking and camping
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