By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

Art Champagne recently attended a country music concert, and all he had to do was step out his front door.

Champagne organized the first-ever Ponderosa Festival at his Pembroke farm on Saturday, Oct. 1. After filing the necessary paperwork with the town and arranging police and security details, he invited country performers Tracilynne and the Jimmy Lehoux Band.

The Jimmy Lehoux Band took the stage after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and launched into “White Mountain Fever.” A Manchester native, Lehoux last played on the property for a Champagne family reunion of more than 150 people, which prompted Champagne to put on another concert. (Joseph Edgerton Photo)

"Things have gone to plan," he said as music boomed across the field. "I did this to see if I could pull it off again. If I was going to make any mistakes I wanted to make them on a small scale."

If any mistakes were actually made, the fans didn't notice. Nearly 250 of them converged on the farm, lawn chairs and blankets in hand, to enjoy a few hours of music.

Patricia Beals drove an hour from Springvale, Maine, with her husband to see the performers.

"I thought this would be a great way to spend an afternoon, especially in this beautiful weather," she said. "I'm enjoying the music and I'm glad I can be with my friends and support local groups."

Champagne said the logistics of the show were manageable. He uses his 132-acre farm to grow hay, and set up part of it as an outdoor amphitheater.

"The parking was the biggest challenge, but I was ready for everything else since last week," he said. "I just put out the stakes and ribbon this morning, and it probably took about a half day to set up the stage."

Another factor was feeding the hungry fans. Champagne's the scene at 9 a.m. to man the cash register at an outdoor kitchen.

"I was here for the family reunion, which was about 150 people," she said. "We cooked burgers and hot dogs for that, so we figured we'd do the same for this show. We're prepared for between 200 and 500 people. I hope we get them."

Champagne's wife, Vicky, echoed the sentiment.

"I'm so glad that things have worked out as smoothly as they have," she said. "I wouldn't mind if a few more people showed - I don't want to be eating meat loaf for the next two weeks!"

The gates opened at 1:30, and Tracilynne went on stage at 2 p.m. She said she had played various venues, but that nothing quite prepared her for the Ponderosa Festival.

"I haven't played anything like this before, and it's pretty cool," she said. "When I first went on stage, I felt like I was in a concert. I just didn't know how to feel at first, but I would definitely do this again."

Stan Swinarski is a solo artist who teamed up with Tracilynne for the event. He said the Ponderosa Festival has its own unique appeal.

"I prefer a concert situation like this because people are more into your music and listen to what you have to say," he said. "I can interact with the crowd, actually look them in the eye and interact with them."

He said events like the Ponderosa Festival are a growing phenomenon and eagerly anticipates their return.

"I love playing outdoor folk festivals," he said. "In a few years, this is going to be big. Folk festivals are going to get bigger."

Before the Jimmy Lehoux Band played, Champagne took an informal survey of the crowd dotting the slopes.

"I'm glad you all came here. Are you all enjoying yourselves?" he asked them. "Can I do this again next year?"

The crowd cheered their approval before the next group stepped up to the microphone. When the Lehoux Band took the stage, the audience took notice. Although they have traveled extensively, the band members have forgotten neither their roots nor their fans. They launched into a set composed of songs like "White Mountain Fever," and "Chevy For a Cadillac," that had die-hard fans edging their lawn chairs up to the stage.

"This is a test run, and we think it's been going great so far," said Lehoux. "We'd like to thank Pembroke. This is good for us and it's good for them. It's a new partnership."

Editor's note: In previous articles, the wrong photo ran for singer Tracielynn, for which we apologize.