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Totally Tunsie

(10,885 posts)
Wed Feb 9, 2022, 06:24 PM Feb 2022

Rhythm & Roots Festival comes to an end. UPDATE: REVIVED AND REINSTATED!

Last edited Sun Apr 24, 2022, 12:38 PM - Edit history (1)

Chuck Wentworth of Lagniappe Productions today announced in an e-mail that his company is ending production of the long-enjoyed Rhythm & Roots Festival that entertained its many fans each Labor Day Weekend. Chuck and the Festival will be sorely missed.


Thank You
For All The Memories

Regrettably, I am announcing that Lagniappe Productions is suspending all operations immediately. As a result, the 24th Annual Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance and Food Festival scheduled for Labor Day weekend 2022 is cancelled.

I have not come to this decision lightly. After consulting with my doctors and my family, we’ve decided that I should step away from festival production for health issues that have taken their toll for the past 12 years. Most recently, a major medical event hospitalized me for two days during the last Rhythm & Roots festival. You can imagine the frustration and disappointment that I experienced missing the festival that I planned for two years. The consensus of all involved is that I must step away from festival production immediately.

Deb, the entire Wentworth family and I share your disappointment that the Rhythm & Roots festival has come to an end. We have worked diligently to present the best festival possible since 1998. As an independent, family run festival, we have managed to succeed despite facing numerous obstacles. Our success has been largely due to your unwavering support through the good and the lean times. We all share great memories of festivals past and we hope that you can Keep the Vibe Alive in spirit. Thanks again and we will always cherish every one of you who attended Rhythm & Roots over the past 24 years. You won’t be forgotten.

Thank you all again,

Chuck, Deb and the entire Wentworth family


UPDATE: Rhythm & Roots has a savior, and IT'S BACK!!!!

LAGNIAPPE PRODUCTIONS AND GOODWORKS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF RHYTHM & ROOTS FESTIVAL!
INITIAL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON

Rhythm & Roots Music Festival, a longstanding arts celebration, will return to Charlestown, RI, this Labor Day Weekend, September 2, 3 and 4. The event, now in its 24th year, will celebrate the end of summer in its original location, Ninigret Park. The announcement follows the news of an
unexpected cancellation, originally attributed to health concerns from founder and owner of Lagniappe Productions, Chuck Wentworth. Subsequently, Lagniappe sold the festival to independent, community-minded Hartford, CT-based Goodworks Entertainment, clearing the way for the festival’s return. Goodworks brings twenty years of extensive experience in concert and festival production to the endeavor, entering the partnership with an overarching intention - maintaining the same charm that carried the festival through over two decades.

“Goodworks is a perfect fit to take over the festival…” said Wentworth. “…their underlying philosoph[ies] mirror that of those exemplified by Lagniappe Productions for the past 23 years.”

“We don’t plan on making any major changes to Rhythm & Roots as we will strive to continue the legacy that Chuck and his family have built over the years,” explained Goodworks Entertainment CEO and co-founder Tyler Grill. “Furthermore, Chuck and the family will stay on as consultants to aid and assist in the transition process as we take over the day to day operations of the festival.”

“What drew us to Rhythm & Roots, was the idea of tying together community, culture, and the arts, along with the big appeal of working with Wentworth,” added Goodworks co-founder Dave Rosenfeld. "This will be our first time in Rhode Island, and we want it to be a win-win."

Grill and Wentworth, both acclaimed promoters in the northeast, will continue the tradition of booking top-tier talent from across the nation. Currently, the team is collaboratively selecting this year’s musical talent and finalizing remaining logistics. Initial artist lineup and ticketing details will arrive in the coming weeks.



















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