Miles to Dayton Kicks Off LI Winterfest 2016
The annual Long Island Winterfest – Live on the Vine is starting its ninth iteration with a bang this year at the music festival’s Kickoff Party at Suffolk Theater in Riverhead on Friday, February 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Featuring more than 70 concerts and wine events in 40-plus unique venues throughout the East End, Winterfest has new headliners in this year’s program, and has also broadened the focus of the festival by including more themes, as well as non-musical events and the new “Art of Wine” series to round out the experience a little more for festival-goers. Each year, the festival brings together world-class music, fine wine, beautiful venues and the backdrop of the incredible East End, making for a wholly unique experience.
Miles to Dayton and Toby Walker are headlining Friday’s Kickoff Party, with special guest Andrew Fortier opening for them. A Long Island rock favorite with a grass roots following, Miles to Dayton have headlined at the Patchogue Theater and sold out the Boulton Center. Toby Walker, a renowned, award-winning guitarist, has toured throughout the US and Europe, and was the first place winner of the International Blues Challenge Award.
Andrew Fortier’s music and words are reflections of life in progress. Major recording contracts came and went for the musician—people say they can’t believe he’s “not all over the radio” or say “you’re gonna make it”—but the musician says he’s already made it as far as his life has been: The rest is just icing. Fortier’s new album is The Upsidedown Sky.
Following this Kickoff Party event, Winterfest Live on the Vine runs for five weeks through March 20. Winterfest is a of project of the East End Arts and presented by Suffolk County National Bank with additional support from the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Long Island Wine Council.
This award-winning festival was created as both a means to promote area musicians and to help tourism in the slower winter months. With an impressive roster of more than 30 emerging artists and legendary Grammy-winning headliners playing a wide spread of genres from jazz to country to rock, Winterfest is sure to delight all kinds of music fans.
And it all begins with the Kickoff Party on Friday.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and currently available online at suffolktheater.com or by calling the Suffolk Theater Box Office at 631-727-4343. Suffolk Theater is located at 118 East Main Street in Riverhead.
For more information and tickets for all Winterfest events, visit liwinterfest.com or call 631-331-0808.