REVIVE fest at Youngstown’s B&O Station

There is bad news and good news as far as local rock festivals are concerned.

The bad: It’s not looking good for Vexfest.

The annual free, daylong festival on Federal Street, downtown, is probably not going to happen this year, say the organizers.

The good news: Another festival is springing up and will be take place the same weekend.

The REVIVE music and arts festival will be Saturday, Aug. 9, on the B&O Station grounds and will feature a multitude of bands on three stages — which is basically the same setup as Vextest.

Vexfest X would have taken place the Sunday of the same weekend.

Like Vexfest, REVIVE will feature many of the region’s top bands, including Jones for Revival, Tropidelic, Hoss and the Juggernauts, 5 Elements, Zach Paxson and many more.

There also will be an artists village for hand-crafted merchandise.

Unlike Vexfest, REVIVE will not be free. Admission to the all-ages event, which will run from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m., will be $10 (free for children under 12). DJs will perform inside the whole time.

While Vexfest’s downtown location was hard to beat for its urban flavor, REVIVE might be an even better location.

The bucolic B&O Station grounds are nestled into a bend in the scenic Mahoning River (well, at least it’s scenic in that spot), with downtown Youngstown in the background. It’s a hidden jewel, one of the city’s best — and most underutilized — sites.

A permanent outdoor stage already exists on the B&O grounds, and there is also a smaller covered stage.

More information will be forthcoming on the REVIVE fest. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or a vendor, email reviveyoungstown@gmail.com.

— Guy D’Astolfo