Camelstock X will be Friday through Sunday at Izaak Walton League in Loveland.
The cost of admission is $10 per day or $15 for the weekend. Overnight, primitive camping is available for $25 and an electric camp site is available for $35. Guests may pay upon arrival. Pre-registration is not required. (No one will be turned away if they can’t afford to pay admission.)
The weekend will be packed with live music, guest speakers, recovery meetings, art and craft vendors, food and more.
Camelstock was started by Hart, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, who hosts 12-step recovery meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, etc.) in the Greater Cincinnati area. Hart is the co-founder of Camel Club, a recovery meeting place located in Reading, Ohio.
While the festival was created to be a sober event with meetings for those in recovery, Camelstock is a family-friendly event that is open to the public.
“It was all formed to raise money to support the on-going existence of Camel Club,” Hart said. “Everybody has such a good time with the event that we keep doing it, and it’s been a good experience. Really, the main goal is to showcase what you can do without drinking and drugging. We want people to know that they still go out, listen to music and have fun in much richer way.”
He said, “We bill it a lot like Woodstock, except there’s no drugs or alcohol, and half a million less people, but other than that we’re just like Woodstock.”
The music will kick off on Friday afternoon and performers will include Randy Church at 5 p.m., Rocko Dilian at 7 p.m., Dirty Shorts at 8 p.m. Chris Fields at 11 p.m. Plus, there will be Rockstar Karaoke hosted by Robb Z at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Jake H. will be the guest speaker at the 6 p.m. meeting. There will also be an After Midnight Fireside Meeting at 12:15 a.m.
On Saturday, the music will start at noon with Classical Guitar from the Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society, followed by Tyler “T-Bone” Joseph, Happy Fingers, Dennis Geehan’s Storied Blues Project, Gary “Guitar” Williams & The Westside Players, Tobias C. at 4 p.m., and Take 2 performing at 5 p.m.. At 6 p.m., there will be a meeting with guest speaker Philly Steve.
Artist Dennis Geehan, a Beavercreek resident, said his own family history, his experience as both a counselor and a client, and as a musician, drew him to the event.
“I’m a different kind of act in that I’m not a professional musician,” Geehan said. “I played a couple of years in high school, won an Army talent contest in basic training, went to Vietnam, and I didn’t pick up a guitar again for 45 years.”
Geehan also said he wanted to involve Dayton area talent and help to get the word out to others in the Southwest Ohio region.
“After 20 years of daily opioids, benzos, sleeping meds and antidepressants, I chose to walk away from those and replace a dozen medications with a dozen guitars, ukuleles, and a banjo, and I began teaching myself to play again,” said Geehan.
He said, “When I play and write songs, it’s to share a message that music can be a much healthier path to health and happiness.”
Geehan will be playing Camelstock alongside several other Dayton musicians, including Tyler “T-Bone” Joseph, Dave “Happy Fingers” Pence, Gary “Guitar” Williams & The Westside Players as well as performing songs from his own Storied Blues Project.
More music will continue on Saturday night with Daniel Lunsford and the Down Lows at 7:10 p.m., WTF at 8 p.m., Super Doll at 8:50 p.m., Cross My Fingers at 9:40 p.m. and Bouncing Fist at 10:30 p.m. The live music will be followed by an After Midnight Fireside Meeting at 12:15 a.m.
In addition, nine to 12 crafters will be displaying arts and crafts at the event. There will also be grilled hamburgers and hot dogs available.
How to go
What: Camelstock X
Where: Izaak Walton League, 544 Branch Hill-Loveland Road in Loveland
When: Friday through Sunday
Cost: $10 per day, or $15 for the weekend. Overnight camping available. Pay on-site, no pre-registration is required.
More info: facebook.com/camelstockrecovery, email rkh77506@gmail.com, or text (513) 376-5153. Dogs allowed only with tame owners. Live music, food, craft vendors and meetings on Friday and Saturday.
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