A look back at one of the best music festivals in the country

It billed itself as music by day and stars by night, and it delivered.

Bellwether Music Festival may be over, but after attending, it’s clear that it is one of the best music festival options out there.

There are music festivals spread across the country, and we’ve attended many of them.

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From the open fields at Zilker Park for Austin City Limits to the outdoor camping getaway at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., to the Chicago skyline and downtown setting of Lollapalooza, there are music festivals galore in all 50 states with diverse and interesting outdoor settings and line-ups.

If you live in Ohio, Bellwether is certainly the best of them.

CAN’T BEAT THE SETTING

This year, Bellwether was held on the 260-acre grounds of Renaissance Park in Waynesville — home to the Ohio Renaissance Festival. The buildings, trees, interesting structures, seating and shade made it a very special spot to walk around and enjoy. There was shade when you needed it and plenty to look at.

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THE PARKING

This was by far the easiest music festival to get in and out of. Situated about 45 minutes from Dayton and Cincinnati and an hour from Columbus, there was virtually no wait to park and get in or vice versa when it was time to exit.

THE ENTERTAINMENT

There were two rock ’n’ roll jousting competitions each day, and a silent disco and movie screenings in the evenings. This festival is the brainchild of the planners behind Bunbury and Midpoint music festivals and they clearly know what they are doing.

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THE BANDS

Cold War Kids and Cake headlined Friday while Guided by Voices and Beach House helmed the ship on Saturday. They were great, but the second string bands playing including Twin Shadow, Finback, STRFKR and Black Moth Super Rainbow were terrific. The STRFKR set featuring dancing astronauts and a large crowd surfing pelican was one of the highlights. Seeing Dayton bands R.Ring and Guided By Voices was nice to see.

THE FOOD

There were food trucks and food vendors, but the food being served up at 1572 Roadhouse BAR-B-Q was an extra special treat with dry-rubbed meat that had been smoked over the course of the day. It got us excited about heading back for the Renaissance Festival at the end of the month.

Looking forward to seeing — and hearing — what they come up with for next year.

Visit www.bellwetherfest.com for more information.

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