By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

A hay farmer in Pembroke has discovered that his land is fertile for another use - hosting his own concerts.

Arthur Champagne has a 132 acre plot near Bear Brook State Park on Route 28, and a recent family reunion provided the inspiration to turn part of his land into an area for outdoor concerts.

"There were 150 people at the reunion, which was just my wife side, and we hired a band to come and play," said Champagne. "People really enjoyed it, and we had a great time."

The inspiration to get a concert permit came later that day, after neighbors who had heard the music kidded Champagne, asking why they hadn't been invited to the party.

"One of my neighbors came up to me and said he wished he could have been there. So, I thought I would invite them next time and make people more comfortable," said Champagne. "I realized that I had the perfect place to hold a concert. When you get a license, it for 200 people or more."

The band he hosted is called the Lehouisana Boys. Jimmy Lehoux, singer for the band, is the brother of Champagne sonin- law. Champagne is tentatively planning the return of the band for a concert on Oct. 1.

"We'd like to open the gates at 1 in the afternoon, and then have the first act at 2:15, and then the Lehouisana Boys from 4 to 6, but that subject to change," he said. "People need to bring their own chairs, too."

Champagne hasn't determined the cost of tickets, but said that the prices would be adjusted to cover the expenses of the concert, some of which include a police detail as well as possible food vendors.

"We've got to take care of the sound and stage set-up," he said. "It would cost a minimum of $4,000, and you can go through $5,000 pretty easily to put this sort of thing on."

Also to be determined is the attendance at the concert. A permit allows for a minimum gathering of 200, but Champagne said the numbers could vary.

"There no limit for a maximum gathering of people," he said. "I'm thinking we'd have around 200, easily, and I'd probably shut it off at close to 1,000."

The property is one mile north of Bear Brook State Park, and is set back nearly a quarter mile from the road. Champagne said the process of obtaining a license is pretty simple.

"The most challenging part was answering all the selectmen questions down at town hall," said Champagne. "But even that wasn't that bad. They were very helpful and they guided me through the process."

He added, "I think it good for the town to have something happening and a nice place for people to have a good time."

Champagne said traffic flow is one of the biggest issues for successful concerts, and that ensuring access for fire and police details to and from the property is important. He is not sure how many Pembroke officers, hired on an hourly basis, will be necessary.

"I'm thinking of doing this once a year, as a little end-ofthe- summer party, but we'll have to see how it all works out," said Champagne. "We want people to relax and have a good, safe time. There a lot of property here, and I think it would be a shame for it all to go to waste."