Here's Why We Can't Wait For Purple Hatter's Ball May 30, 2018 00:05

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Photo by Jeffrey Dupuis
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It's that time of the year again, and summer festival season has officially begun. While countless festivals are scheduled in various, beautiful locations across the country, few (if any) can truly match the magic of Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. While heavy hitters such as Suwannee Hulaween and Wanee naturally draw the most attention to the park, one of our favorite annual events lies ahead this weekend: Purple Hatter's Ball. In addition to a consistently solid lineup, this  intimate two-day music festival raises awareness for The Rachel Morningstar Foundation (a non-profit 501c3 organization) in honor of music lover Rachel Morningstar Hoffman. 
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Purple Hatter's Ball 2018 will showcase a diverse line-up of music on two stages including the picturesque Amphitheater Stage surrounded by massive live oak trees draped with Spanish moss, and the much-loved Beach Stage which offers plenty of shaded area for dancing during daytime sets and sun drenched sand along the black Suwannee River, where festival goers chill on inflatable rafts and play games. PHB 2018 will be headlined by seven-piece super funk futurists Lettuce, who are known for throwing down some of their best live performances on the SOSMP Amphitheater Stage, and Arizona-based four piece Spafford, who are in the midst of a meteoric rise within the jam scene, taking over airwaves on Sirius XM’s JamOn. Also performing is Breaking Biscuits featuring Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein from The Disco Biscuits, and Adam Deitch and Borham Lee of Break Science. The experimental band has only played a handful of shows, and this marks their first performance in the southeast.
Additional artists on the lineup include: Florida-based jam aficionados The Heavy Pets, who are currently touring behind their new full-length album Strawberry Mansion; the one-and-only sacred steel master Roosevelt Collier and his band whose Exit 16 debut album recently dropped on GroundUp Music; Toubab Krewe with their energetic instrumental world music that blends Caribbean, Malian and influences from the “Dirty South”; the conscious world-reggae sounds of DubConscious - Rachel’s favorite band;  and twin producer–duo MZG. Additional performers include Southern Avenue, Hivemind, Catfish Alliance, Trial By Stone, and Vlad The Inhaler.
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Purple Hatter’s Ball is the perfect opportunity to experience the beautiful Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park festival grounds, during a laid-back, intimate and affordable event. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the park’s endless activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, biking, and disc golf.  There is no better way to experience Spirit of the Suwannee in style. The park also offers guest comforts including a general store, a full-service restaurant, showers and water stations.
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Here's a taste of what you can expect from the 2018 PHB lineup:
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Lettuce will bring an unmatchable level of explosive funk to the table.
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You've surely heard the Spafford hype. It's very real. Just wait.
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Break Science meets The Disco Biscuits: Need we say more?
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Toubab Krewe is back with a vengeance. Is there a more unique band out there?
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Suwannee is essentially home turf for The Heavy Pets. These guys always deliver. 
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Speaking of home turf...expect to see your fair share of Dr. Roosevelt Collier.
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Photos by Rex-A-Vision
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