The Niles Riverfront Optimists will host the 15th annual Niles Bluegrass Festival from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 1 to June 4.

The traditional festival, officially titled the Niles Family Fun Fair and  Bluegrass/Americana
/Folk Music Festival, will offer much more than bluegrass.

Those who attend will be able to hear the 13 classic and modern bluegrass bands who have signed up so far. And while music is one of the main attractions, T.J. Martin, event operations coordinator, said the festival is also geared toward families.

“We are trying to bring people here to bond a little bit closer,” Martin said. “It is all about making memories. People get excited about it because of the music and family atmosphere.”

A family fun area called the “Kids Zone” will feature a children’s stage behind the Wonderland Cinema and a host of other family activities, including an arts and crafts tent, pony and camel rides and a petting zoo.  There will also be 18 carnival rides, 11 food vendors a marine obstacle course and a pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Martin has helped to organize the festival for the past three years and said with so many activities it is almost like having two festivals in one.

The festival is hosted by the Riverfront Optimist Club, which uses the festival as a fundraiser to support educational music opportunities for children. While the event itself is free, it costs money to use carnival rides, which support the fundraiser. The event is partially sponsored by Lakeland Health.

Niles city councilors also showed their support for the festival and voted to approve the festival and cover in-kind service costs.

These efforts help to keep the festival free. What is raised through carnival ride proceeds will help the Riverfront Optimist Club fund musical education opportunities for children.

The Niles Bluegrass Festival started as a small musical get together 15 years ago and has since grown, becoming an attraction for Niles residents. Martin said those within a 75-mile radius are drawn to the festival, too.

Event creator Tom Majerek said he realized 15 years ago that there was proliferation of bluegrass bands in the area. As a music lover across multiple genres, Majerek said he liked the idea of giving bluegrass musicians a chance to perform in Niles.

Majerek also praised the genre for being family friendly, but said the music is not without an entertainment aspect to it.

“While [bluegrass musicians] do not curse or overtly talk about [adult content],” Majerek said, “they do have a slap stick kind of sense of humor in their songs.”

Another unique aspect to the bluegrass genre is the jam portion, where, like jazz, the musician’s creativity has the chance to shine through in improvised jam sessions.

This year the festival will again feature the Brandywine String Creek Band. Students from the elementary school make up the band, which is led by Brandywine Elementary School principal Jim Boger.

“This is the future of America, the young kids with instruments,” Martin said.

Those who attend will also have the opportunity to enjoy music played by the Whistle Stop Revue — a four-piece band that plays progressive bluegrass, among many other bands that have signed up.

For those that have yet to experience the festival, Martin encouraged them to listen for themselves.

“Just try it out,” Martin said.