About Us
ABOUT SOULFEST
For more than 27 years, SoulFest has been bringing people together through great music, shared experiences, and a spirit of community that has made the festival a beloved summer tradition for thousands across New England.
Part music festival, part camping adventure, and part family reunion, SoulFest is a whole weekend of Friendship Making Fun.
Great music brings everyone together, but some of the best moments happen between the concerts. Playing cornhole with new friends, jumping into a spontaneous pickleball game, enjoying great food from the trucks, sharing stories over a meal with new and old friends, catching an inspiring seminar, and laughing together at the late-night karaoke parties.
OUR LEADERSHIP
SoulFest is led by Frank Tate and Bev Abbonizio, along with an incredible volunteer family that helps bring the festival to life every summer.
Frank has been part of SoulFest since day one, bringing artists from his record label Five Minute Walk Records to perform at the very first festival in 1998.
Bev brings exceptional event leadership and a gift for creating joyful experiences where friendships naturally grow.
SoulFest founder Dan Russell entrusted the future of the festival to Frank and Bev after suffering a stroke during the COVID season. They feel deeply honored to carry his vision forward while helping the next chapter of SoulFest become even more welcoming, joyful, and friendship focused.
OUR VOLUNTEER FAMILY
One of the things that has always made SoulFest special is our amazing volunteer community. Each year they generously give their time, energy, and talents to help create the welcoming atmosphere that so many festival-goers have come to love.
They truly are the heart and soul of SoulFest, helping the festival feel less like an event and more like a family reunion.
We’re also deeply grateful to Michael, Steve, and the incredible team at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, whose partnership helps make SoulFest feel right at home in the hills of Western Massachusetts.
OUR HEART FOR SOULFEST
Our hope is simple: to create a place where people reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and experience the joy of real-life community together.
People of deep faith and the spiritually curious are equally welcome here.
We believe some of the best stories in life happen when people gather together, share laughter, listen to great music, and build friendships that last long after the weekend ends.
