by Jaz Bowens
It’s music festival season, a much awaited time of the year when skin comes out and live music plays under the beaming sun until the moon joins the party. As a music festival novice I decided to dive head first into the thriving American past time by attending the much anticipated Opple Topple Fest on the sprawling lands of Warrington’s Winding Brook Farms. The three day annual fest (June 13-15) will have everything a veteran festival participant will appreciate and a newbie like me will be in awe of- music, crafts, entertainment, food, lights, and dancing. This year is Renaissance/Medieval themed, so with my tunic and cloak in hand and my tent in tow I’ll be ready to hit the road.
As the fest date arrives, Ryan Opperman, the man behind the magic, is busy preparing for the big weekend. Luckily, That Music Mag was able to reach Mr. Opperman and get the low down on all things Opple Topple Fest. His enthusiastic, open, and honest answers made for a great interview.
Opperman,an American Veteran from the tri-state area never in his wildest dreams thought that he’d be a owner of a production company and he definitely didn’t think a music fest would come of it. “I came out of the military and a dear friend of mine asked me if I was interested in running his security team,” he says. “Long story short, we became really good entertainers and it all grew from there. Never in my life did I think I would be able to be a part of the group of friends who know what it takes to do the shows that we do.”
Everyone in his circle plays a part in Opple Topple’s success and helped make his goals a reality. He couldn’t stress enough how fortunate he is for such encouraging and talented people in his life. “Where do I start? My father has given me every skill a father could give to his son,” he explained. “Jayar Bass,without him there would be no Opple Topple. His skills and his skills alone are the heart of everything.”
Everyone from the account coordinator, art coordinator, stage manager, head of maintenance, and contributing music festival planners, to the volunteers, and many more aid in getting Opple Topple off the ground. To do such a feat many months of planning and organizing are in works long before anyone hits the stage.
“We start tracking talent in November, which becomes a huge long process that I want ready to go by March 1st,” Opperman says. “That process is the longest. It takes a long time researching, listening, then answering every email from bands with an interest in playing our event. Our mission is to try to give local undiscovered acts a chance to play with some weathered talented musicians in a true concert setting. After that, my most trusted confidant Jaicee Lam starts getting the vendor contracts going, Jayar works on the advertising material, Nikki Garafolo gets the volunteers going, and I start pulling my hair out.”
Opple Topple will have five years under its belt and Opperman promises this year to be the best yet. “If I had to say the two things I’m looking forward to the most it would be Morning Fatty, our headliner, and The Doylestown School of Rock,” Opperman says. “There is something about watching 50 young talented musicians between the age of 9 to 19 getting up on our stage and rocking it out.”
The family oriented fest means everyone needs to come out and have a good time. “We throw an awesome local music festival in the Philadelphia area with local acts and regional acts where you can participate not only in live music, but also in multiple organized workshops, get your vending on and camp for two nights. Did I mention it’s within 30 minutes of Philadelphia?”
I’m looking forward to experiencing all that Opple Topple has in store. Great music, friends, craft and cosplay? Count me in. Bring the whole family and get ready to discover great music, food, and new friends. For more information about the fest, ordering tickets, and bands playing,check out the fest’s website. Also, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
