Follypalooza officially marks the beginning of festival season on folly beach
By Lorne Chambers | Editor
Another summer has come and gone and that means three things on Folly Beach — slightly cooler weather, less crowds, and the beginning of festival season. While the mayor-appointed City Council committee exploring how to make festivals better for all Folly residents (and visitors) has not yet submitted a formal report, it’s clear that at least some of the residents’ concerns were heard during the numerous discussions about festivals over the last several months. The most obvious change that will be implemented this year, beginning with Follypalooza, the first festival of the year on Oct. 24, is that people must have wristbands in order to drink alcohol on Center Street. Event organizers are hoping that this will help bartenders and Public Safety monitor underage drinking.
Wristbands can be obtained at the ID check and info tent on Erie Street, between Planet Follywood and the Folly Beach Crab Shack. In the tent will also be the silent auction, which always has great items that festival goers can bid on via Bidr, a local company that created a mobile app that allows folks bidding on items to do it via their mobile phones. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, where 1,000 tickets will be sold for $5 apiece and the winner will get half ($2,500) and the other half will go to charity.
The money raised at the silent auction and the 50/50 raffle will go directly to Follypalooza’s annual cause of helping Folly residents who are fighting cancer. The event has raised close to $40,000 in its first seven years, benefiting nearly 30 individuals. Many of these recipients are now cancer survivors, including local musician Nathan Calhoun.
“I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by cancer at some point in their lives, who hasn’t lost someone close to them to this disease. Follypalooza is an effort that anyone can get behind, no matter who you are,” says Follypalooza assistant director Ben Bounds. “This event means a lot to us, as always, but this year might be the most sentimental, having lost our longtime friend and contributor Dominic D’Amato this past January to cancer.”
D’Amato was a member of the Folly Association of Business, a volunteer at Follypalooza, and designed and printed T-shirts and posters for the event the first seven years. “This will be our first one without Dom, and that’s gonna add a little extra fire to our bellies right now during the planning for sure, but I think it’s really going to hit us all on gameday. This one’s for him,” says Bounds.
According to Bounds, The Folly Angels, a longstanding philanthropic group based on-island, has been great partners in identifying and verifying cancer patients in need, as well as the Folly Beach Exchange Club, who together nominate recipients of Follypalooza proceeds, following a thorough screening process.
Event organizers Bounds, Kelly and Dan Russ, Roger Rutledge, and cofounder DJ Rich have put together a stellar line-up of local talent that will be playing on two stages at various times throughout the day. “This year will be a little different, besides obviously being bigger and better, we’ve beefed up out staff and brought in some new attractions,” says Bounds. “I love working with DJ, Kelly, Dan and Roger, and I think we make a great team,” says Bounds.
In 2008, DJ Rich, owner of Planet Follywood, and a small group of volunteers founded Follypalooza when a local restaurant owner and local musician were diagnosed with cancer. The event has grown from a few hundred in attendance to drawing several thousand people. “We’re expecting a big crowd for ‘Palooza this year. It’s now our third-largest festival of the year on the island, just behind Sea & Sand Festival and FollyGras. Being in the fall, right before Halloween and during the harvest season and college football, it kinda has its own unique vibe and atmosphere, which I totally dig.”
Follypalooza will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, 11:30 a.m. It’s family and dog-friendly, and free to the public. Chairs and blankets welcome. No tents or coolers without a vendor application and fee. Vendor booth spaces are still available. For information contact Kelly Russ at (843) 323-5607 or email follypalooza4cancer@gmail.com.
