LOCALadk Magazine

66 Summer 2018 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk For most of the year the hillsides and fields off Lobdell Lane, two miles south of Elizabethtown, lie dormant, with an occasional deer prancing about or coyotes penetrating the night's silence. That all changes during three days in Sep- tember. This year it will the 7th though the 9th, when an ex- pected 2,500 devotees will trudge up the hill (or perhaps ride courtesy of the hay wagon provided for this purpose) to the Sixth Annual Otis Mt. Get Down. For most of the attendees are college-aged and Wood- stock is an event mentioned in some histor y books, or per- haps a few are fortunate enough to hear first-hand of their parents' or grandparents' exploits in 1969. However, to the promoters and those partaking in the festival, the Otis Mt. Get-Down is similar to Woodstock in that it is defined by the same values of peace and love. All attendees perpetuate the feeling. Some dress as incarnate Hippies with tie-dyed shirts and loosely flowing dresses as they wander through the woods, relax on the hillside, and dance barefoot on the grass and sand. But unlike the event of almost a half-centur y ago, the Otis Mt. Get Gown is well organized. There's signage indicating camping areas, outhouses, the lean-to, directions to the stages, property boundaries, and even the location of the sandbox. Also unlike Woodstock, the Otis Mountain Get Down is clean. Trash barrels are both used and emptied on a regular basis. Considering the number of attendees, the amount of food and beverages consumed, and the sprawling acreage of the venue grounds - which include ski slope and the sur- rounding woods - the Get Downs have concluded with virtu- ally no litter. There's a first aid station and an on-site ambulance, and throughout the festival medical personnel and unobtrusive security are on the grounds, should they be needed. Otis Mountain: The Get-Down's site is an obscure former ski hill nestled in what old maps refer to as "Pleasant Valley," so-named by the settlers who mostly came from Vermont over two centuries ago. For many years the locals called the assortment of run- down buildings in the flats leading to the hill "The Farm." It was once owned by the Lobdell family; hence the road's name. The Farm was a favorite place for indigenous part- iers and was sometimes patrolled by sheriff's deputies who, during their own teen years, may have used the secluded en- virons for their own revelr y. From the 1950s and into the '70s, Otis Mountain was a ski slope for locals who could not travel to, or afford, resorts such as Whiteface, Killington, or Stowe and instead sought the companionship of friends and extended families gath- ered for an inexpensive day on the slopes. During years of inactivity, the site, like others in the area, became a dumping ground for refuse. Get-Down promoter Zach Allott's parents, Jeff and Susan, along with some oth- ers, took over the property and cleared it of trash and over- grown vegetation. Musically inclined, Jeff Allott instituted a bluegrass festi- val at the site in 2003, which continued until 2009. Then in 2013, Zach resurrected the festival on a slightly larger scale, with three stages and more acts. The new event also fea- tured a greater variety of music. "My family has been amaz- ing in helping me do this. In addition there are about 15 other people involved in setting this up," said Zach. According to the Get Down website, "Otis is an open, inti- mate and affordable festival, offering an eclectic and unique mix of artists and genres. Our aim is to produce an experi- ence that encourages new and meaningful interactions with art, music, the outdoors and each other, while also embrac- ing and supporting our local communities, music and culture. We work hard to make each year at Otis better than the last." "It's grown a lot since we restarted it four years ago. It's a great way to bring people into the area, which makes it much more special, and the people who come are so ver y friendly. This year there will be more art installations, and we have developed and improved our hiking and mountain biking trail system," said Zach. Partial lineup for this year's festival: Organizers of the Get Down claim to select musicians based on three criteria: quality, diversity, and spirit." It only stands to reason then that the music genres are as diverse as the names of the performers. The Shacks provide "a seductively dreamy blend of early rock, vintage soul, and intimately hushed vocals that seem to float out weightlessly from the ether." Then there are the Weaves whose "freewheeling compo- sitional style is grounded by Yasmyn Burke's songwriting, Gettin' Down at TIS By Alvin Reiner Rock, Blues and Funk Fill The Mountain Air

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