Nelson Ledges satisfies fans jonesing for music and fun
By Jeanne Starmack
GARRESTVILLE
Jonesfest 2010
Nelson Ledges Quarry Park is welcoming Jonesfest this weekend, and today is the big day.
The festival, fronted by the Youngstown jam band Jones for Revival, features music from noon to midnight today on two stages.
The rock-jazz-dance band is making the camping-and-swimming park the festival’s home this year, says park owner Evan Kelley, because it wanted a camping venue.
“It’s more fitting for what they wanted to do,” he said Saturday.
If you’ve never been to the park at 12001 Nelson Ledges Road in Portage County near Garrettsville and Hiram, you need to know that the music is a big — but not the only — part of the attraction.
There’s music at the 250-acre park just about every weekend, Kelley confirmed — other big festivals scheduled there are the Floyd-Zeppelin Classic Fest for classic-rock fans June 11-12 and Gratefulfest for diehard Dead-heads July 1-5.
The events draw families from all over the country, Kelley said — he knows one family with kids who would rather go to Gratefulfest than Disney World.
Jonesfest is a smaller show, he said, and he’s mainly expecting a Youngstown crowd.
Don’t forget a bathing suit, because you can lie on the beach and swim in the old gravel quarry, now filled with cool, clear spring water.
“It’s chilly,” said David Lough of Warren, who was there for the day to swim with family members. “But that water is therapeutic.”
Jamie of Chicago and Paul of Chagrin Falls were sitting on a picnic table in the shade. The two, who didn’t want to give their last names, said they have known about the “community” of Nelson Ledges for a long time. It’s a crowd that likes to party, but peacefully, they said.
“You don’t just stumble upon here, you know what you’re in for,” said Jamie, originally from the Cleveland area.
They like the private parties after the music stops at 11 p.m.
“There’s guitars, and drums around campfires — it’s a tribal atmosphere,” said Paul. “We’re righteous.”