at Honey Acres
The Fight
The Garage is on land zoned for agricultural use. Despite our inclusion of our market of farm goods, regular interactions with farm animals, educational materials available at every show, and the vast majority of the land being used for agriculture, the Department of Permitting Service has deemed us unfit to proceed operations. We are being singled out amongst other big names in the Ag Reserve due to the 'type' of person we bring in. Other farms have had no issue hosting live music events that cater to older, richer audiences than The Garage brings in. DPS is against us.
We value sharing this beautiful land with everyone we can. Not many people in their teens, twenties, or even thirties have access to natural landscapes like this. Not many people in their teens, twenties, and thirties can afford the other activities offered in the Ag Reserve. Not everyone feels safe and welcomed in the high brow breweries, wineries, and wedding venues that the Ag Reserve permits to reside here. While these establishments are important to the preservation of the land, there is a large demographic of individuals that are not being served or welcomed into the Ag Reserve. We think it is important to keep the land accessible to everyone so they can see how amazing the Ag Reserve is and to demonstrate the value of preserving it for generations to come.
We implore you to consider that similar business model to weddings and parties, that are explicitly permitted activities, and question the differences between their business model and ours. If all the attendees of our events were middle aged individuals in suits and formal gowns, rather than adolescents and young adults in ripped jeans and band t-shirts, would we finally be treated with the same dignity and respect as our neighbors? Aren’t both these business models inviting people out to a farm to enjoy it’s rustic beauty and commune around a common interest?
Moving forward
We are working hard to rehome every single show/festival we have in our schedule. We are booked solid until August, so this will be quite a feat but we are dedicated to keeping our community thriving. Like we said earlier, The Garage’s mission is to uplift the local community whether it’s in our space or another venue. You’ll find The Garage community in some places that get you outside still, or some in more traditional venues you may be familiar with. If you or someone you know has an idea for a space to host, feel free to reach out. Backyards, basements, fields, lots, Denny’s, nursing homes, if you have the space, we can take care of the rest.
We will still be hosting some community events here at The Garage that do not involve live music, so keep an eye out for those. If you have an idea for a community night you’d like to host, let us know. At the end of the day, we want everyone to still get the opportunity to spend quality time outside and in a safe space.
We can still host events including birthday parties, private rentals, live recordings, music video shoots, weddings, and more stuff like that. Anything that isn’t a LIVE music event.
Keep the community alive! Just because you aren’t meeting up at The Garage every weekend doesn’t mean you don’t have support. Check on your friends, see other shows, touch some grass, listen to some music, and care for one another.