Written by Katie Clayton

Tucked away in the tiny town of Croyden, New Hampshire, about 2.5 hours away from Portland, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts depending on which direction you’re coming from is the family owned and operated Page Farm. This year will be the fourth year that Wild Woods Music and Arts Festival will be planting its roots at the farm for three days of art and music.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Dubois, one of the directors of the festival. We talked about how Wild Woods  has evolved over the years on a communal level, the Wild Woods experience, as well as all the planning and work that goes into making Wild Woods a sustainable and environmentally friendly event! As a first time attendee I also took the opportunity to get some last minute advice on what to expect out of the weekend,packing essentials, and who Ryan was most excited to see perform this year!

As someone who attends festivals not only for the music but for the environment that is created within the festival by the artists and contributors I am beyond excited to see what’s in store at Wild Woods this year. I am also low key in love with Hayley Jane and the Primates, so I’ll take just about any chance I get to see that powerful woman lead band jam out!

 

How has Wild Woods evolved throughout the last 4 years?

Wild Woods has evolved greatly throughout the past four years.  We have developed a greater appreciation for the artistic communal side of a festival, and really have been trying to push the boundaries with comprehensive stage designs each year.  We hire a company known as The Reliquarium to produce and install the stage designs.  We’d like the fans of Wild Woods to experience something more than just the music.  We want them to feel welcomed and like they are experiencing a concert environment that is out of the norm.

 

What makes Wild Woods a sustainable festival?

We do our best to run the festival in a sustainable way.  One way we do this is by offering compost bins along with the trash and recycling.  The farm has a composting pile which we add to at the end of the festival.  We also donate our recycled cans and materials to a local sorting facility, who then donates the proceeds to a local charity to buy Christmas gifts each year!  We use 100% recycled materials for all of our promotional materials as well. We care about our environment!

 

What are some of the things that you and your production crews  do to ensure Wild Woods is all it can be?

We try and make Wild Woods an amazing experience for all that attend because that is how we would want it to be if we were attending the festival.  Myself and my two co directors started going to festivals a handful of years ago and were inspired to put together our own.  We take time to carefully plot the music lineup and schedule as well, so that everyone can see their favorite acts each year with little to no overlap.  Also I’d like to give a large amount of credit to Page Farm for putting hours of laborious work into their property to make it a festival paradise for campers.

 

What can patrons expect this year at Wild Woods?

Patrons can expect to experience an amazing festival campground while enjoying carefully curated music of many genres!  Expect to meet smiling friendly faces!

 

It’s my first time attending Wild Woods, any suggestions for a first year attendee?

Definitely pack for different types of weather as every now and then we get some storms that roll through the grounds!  Aside from that I’d recommend bringing bug spray and a flashlight!

 

Who are you most excited to see this year from the lineup?

I am most excited to see Emancipator from this years lineup.  I have enjoyed their music for years and I can’t wait to see them in a magical outdoor setting such as Wild Woods Music and Arts Festival.