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Ken Hays: 20 Years Later And Still Gathering The Vibes In Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- "I'd say you're outta your mind!" Ken Hays exclaimed with a grin when asked what he would have thought in the summer of 1996, if he was told the Gathering of the Vibes would be celebrating 20 years this July in Bridgeport.

Gathering of the Vibes Founder, Ken Hays.

Gathering of the Vibes Founder, Ken Hays.

Photo Credit: Contributed

From his office on Fairfield Avenue in Black Rock, Hays and his team is working tirelessly to prepare for one of the Northeast's largest music festivals.

"It's true, I started with no business plan whatsoever," said Hays, a Weston resident. But now, with over 20,000 daily attendees, the festival is no walk in the park to manage.

A lifelong Greatful Dead fan, the Greenwich-born Hays and his friends organized a tribute weekend to honor the band's late frontman Jerry Garcia in 1995 and quickly discovered they had found something special. The Gathering of the Vibes, as it eventually became known, was held in various parks along the Hudson River before settling in Bridgeport's Seaside Park in 1999. 

“Seaside Park is a 370-acre waterfront park, with 1.5 miles of beach and a beautifully manicured park that most people would not expect in the Park City," says Hays. "The park was donated to the city by former Mayor PT Barnum for the use of recreation, and I think the Vibes fit very well into his goal.”  

Despite the good times and great music, the massive festival comes with incredible challenges in planning, Hays says. Preparing the park to house tens of thousands of overnight visitors, ensuring all sound and electronic equipment works properly, as well as landing the bing name artists fans want to hear make planning the Vibes a 12-month job.

"We basically have a one month wrap up, and then get right back at it." Hays says.

This year's lineup features Weezer, Branford Marsalis, The String Cheese Incident, and George Allman, as well as many others from a variety of genres. The concert stays true to its Grateful Dead roots with rock-and-roll headliners, but features jazz, funk, soul, and reggae artists as well. In Hays' opinion, the performance that tops all else was the now-late James Brown in the 2003 festival. "When he hit the stage in his white suit, for me that was something quite special."

In honor of the 20 years, he promises nothing over the top. "People can just expect a great time. When people come with positive Vibes in their minds it becomes contagious. It really has been a great ride for the last 19.5 years.”

To see the full lineup and purchase your tickets to the 20th Annual Gathering of the Vibes from July 30 to Aug. 2, click here

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