Rock 'n' roll, acoustic sounds featured at Onset Music Festival
It was hot and humid day in Onset on Saturday, but that didn't stop music-lovers from enjoying the sounds of the second annual Ryan Levangie Onset Music Festival. At the Lillian Gregerman Band Shell, they moved their seats to wherever the shade was.
There were nine sets of performers between noon and 6 p.m., with mostly acoustic and rock sounds. These included Pat Poekel, Butch McCarthy, Brooke Boucher, J. Kelley, Neal McCarthy, Amy Amor, Grace Morrison, Craig Demelo and the Mattapoisett-based band Huxster.
Singer/songwriter Morrison organized the event along with the Onset Bay Assocation.
The festival is named after Ryan Levangie, a friend of Morrison's who passed away two years ago in a motorcycle accident when he was 29 years old.
Levangie had a love of basketball and baseball, playing on both teams while he attended Wareham High School. The proceeds from the festival went toward the Spinney Memorial Library and toward a scholarship for the Junior Basketball Association in Levangie's name.
"It seemed like a good thing to do for him," said Morrison.
The festival featured musicians, food trucks in one corner, artists and vendors all around the park.
"We got a lot of vendors this year, which I'm thrilled about," said Morrison.
"[The festival is] great for families and the kids," said Brenda McGovern, owner of a jewelry company and a vendor at the the festival. Last year, she came to Onset and enjoyed the music festival. She sought out the Onset Bay Association to be a part of it this year.
Businesses donated raffle items that were given away at the festival. Morrison said the event was successful in generating money for both its causes.
Susan Levangie, Ryan's mother, said, "Each year [the festival has] gotten a little bit better."
Ryan's family and friends were all at the festival, celebrating his memory.
"He was the kind of person that you could know him for five minutes and fall in love with him," said Amy Love, a close friend. "He had a sweet way about him. He was kind to everybody."
Mary Gonski described her nephew as "an angel on earth."
"I think that God put him here and took him home because he did what he had to do," she said.
The free festival was run by volunteers and paid for with donations. A GoFundMe page was set up months ago to try to generate funds. The total estimate for the show was $3,000.
The festival will come again next year and donations will be accepted by the Onset Bay Association.