Inaugural Lockn’ fest wraps up on high note

ARRINGTON — Over the course of the next several days, what once was a virtual pop-up city filled with thousands of revelers, hundreds of tents, rows of luxury tour buses, tiers of rotating lights and so much more will vanish into the night as if it never existed.

There were films and videos, sing-alongs and dance-alongs, a campground world with solar-powered, solo-electric guitar jams, food trucks, guided mountain bike rides and a nearly 700-acre principality of general all-over-the-place-ness.

But before the last notes rang out at the inaugural Lockn’ music festival in Nelson County on Sunday, fans and artists who’d taken over the grounds of the Oak Ridge Estate this past weekend had one more collective bellow to emit.

“It’s crazy,” Purcellville resident Adria Cancelosi said. “I can’t believe it’s almost over. Great people. Great atmosphere. The music’s been insane.”

The lineup during the four-day event included the psychedelic musings of Furthur, fuzzed out rumblings from The London Souls, the storytelling style of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, an appearance by powerhouse vocalist Grace Potter, and the list just keeps going.

Charlottesville’s Hackensaw Boys kicked off Sunday’s festivities with their traditional yet distinct blend of folk and country. Formed in the late 1990s, they became something of a local institution before garnering a national and international audience.

“We were in Amsterdam yesterday, and now we’re here today,” singer/guitarist David Sickmen said a few songs into the band’s set.

As the sun started to set, earthy stalwarts on the jam band circuit, Widespread Panic, were wrapping up another two-hour-long run. With just a couple of hours of music left, Furthur put the lights out on hours of notable performances since the festival went live on Thursday.

While Furthur’s last few guitar chords still were ringing out, vendor Kate Wellborn began the cleanup process for her food tent, Outback Kate, a business she’s been transporting to festivals all over the country since selling her free-standing restaurant in Boone, N.C.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Wellborn said. “We’ve also been to some bigger ones, like Bonnaroo. And when tomorrow hits, I’ll be ready for a little break. But I was super excited to be part of the first year of this one.”

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